shriven

Variant of shrive

shrive definition

shrive (s̸hrīv)

transitive verb shrived or shrove, shriven shriv′en (s̸hriv′ən) or shrived, shriving shriv′·ing

  1. to hear the confession of and absolve
  2. to get absolution for oneself by confessing

Etymology: ME shriven < OE scrifan, akin to Ger schreiben, to write < early WGmc borrowing < L scribere, to write: see scribe

intransitive verb

  1. to make one's confession
  2. to hear confessions

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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