| shrive | 1. To hear or receive the confession of; to administer confession and absolution to; said of a priest as the agent. "That they should shrive their parishioners." (Piers Plowman) "Doubtless he shrives this woman, . . . Else ne'er could he so long protract his speech." (Shak) "Till my guilty soul be shriven." (Longfellow) 2. To confess, and receive absolution; used reflexively. "Get you to the church and shrive yourself." (Beau & Fl) Origin: Shrived or Shrove; Shriven or Shrived; Shriving] [OE. Shriven, schriven, AS. Scrivan to shrive, to impose penance or punishment; akin to OFries. Skriva to impose punishment; cf. OS. Biskriban to be troubled. Cf. Shrift, Shrovetide. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| shrivel | To draw, or be drawn, into wrinkles; to shrink, and form corrugations; as, a leaf shriveles in the hot sun; the skin shrivels with age; often with up. Origin: Shriveled or Shrivelled; Shriveling or Shrivelling] [Probably akin to shrimp, shrink; cf. Dial. AS. Screpa to pine away, Norw. Skrypa to waste, skryp, skryv, transitory, frail, Sw. Skropling feeble, Dan. Skrobelig, Icel. Skrjpr brittle, frail. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |