See Also: Shrive(medicine)
shrive(dictionary)

shrive (iou)



shrive verb. .

verb intrans. Of a priest: act as a confessor; hear a confession or confessions. OE.
verb trans. Hear the confession of; prescribe penance for; give absolution to; absolve from or of a sin. Freq. in pass. OE.
J. Betjeman God shrive me from this morning lust For supple farm girls. C. Thubron Zealots were encouraged to scrutinize, shrive and denounce each other.
b. transf. Relieve of a burden; remove (a burden). Chiefly poet. E17.
R. Bridges A..tomb: Such as to look on shrives The heart of half its care.
a. verb refl. & intrans. Confess one's sins, go to confession. ME.
b. verb trans. Orig., confess (one's sins). Later transf., (poet.), reveal, disclose. ME-E19.
Keats I cannot live Another night, and not my passion shrive.
shriven ppl adjective confessed, absolved M19.
shriver noun a confessor ME.