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Shrew vs Harpy - What's the difference?

shrew | harpy |

As nouns the difference between shrew and harpy

is that shrew is any of numerous small mouselike, chiefly nocturnal, mammals of the family soricidae while harpy is a fabulous winged monster, ravenous and filthy, having the face of a woman and the body of a vulture.

As a verb shrew

is (obsolete|transitive) to beshrew; to curse.

shrew

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • Any of numerous small mouselike, chiefly nocturnal, mammals of the family Soricidae.
  • An ill-tempered, nagging woman: a scold.
    • You'd better not stay out late tonight — your mother is quite a shrew and you'll never hear the end of it.

    Synonyms

    * (mouselike mammal) ranny (obsolete)

    Hyponyms

    * (mouselike mammal) common shrew

    Derived terms

    * elephant shrew * Etruscan shrew * hardishrew * jumping shrew * Nelson's small-eared shrew * shrew-run * shrewd * shrewish * tree shrew

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To beshrew; to curse.
  • * Chaucer
    • I shrew myself.

    harpy

    English

    (wikipedia harpy)

    Noun

    (harpies)
  • A fabulous winged monster, ravenous and filthy, having the face of a woman and the body of a vulture.
  • * Milton
    • Both table and provisions vanished quite,
    With sound of harpies' wings and talons heard.
  • A shrewish woman.
  • :* {{quote-book
    • , year=1927 , year_published=2008 , edition=HTML , editor= , author=Edgar Rice Burrows , title=The Outlaw of Torn , chapter= citation , genre= , publisher=The Gutenberg Project , isbn= , page= , passage=But her most subtle wiles proved ineffectual in ridding her, even for a moment, of her harpy jailer }}
  • One who is rapacious or ravenous; an extortioner.
  • * Goldsmith
    • The harpies about all pocket the pool.
  • The European moor buzzard or marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus ).
  • A large and powerful double-crested, short-winged American eagle (Thrasaetus harpyia ).

    • Derived terms

    * harpy bat * harpy fly

    See also

    * harridan