The Collaborative International Dictionary
Shrive \Shrive\, v. t. [imp. Shrivedor Shrove; p. p. Shrivenor Shrived; p. pr. & vb. n. Shriving.] [OE. shriven, schriven, AS. scr[=i]van to shrive, to impose penance or punishment; akin to OFries. skr[=i]va to impose punishment; cf. OS. biskr[=i]ban to be troubled. Cf. Shrift, Shrovetide.]
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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. -
To confess, and receive absolution; -- used reflexively.
Get you to the church and shrive yourself.
--Beau. & Fl.
Shriven \Shriv"en\, p. p. of Shrive.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
past participle of shrive (v.).
Wiktionary
vb. 1 (past participle of shrive English) 2 (past participle of shrieve English)
WordNet
See shrive
Usage examples of "shriven".
Yet, ere the last string had twanged, he would be down on his four bones among the stricken, and have them all houseled and shriven, as quick as shelling peas.
Then will your villagers be content that she is indeed shriven and under God's wing again.
Yet you're not damned for it, for you've confessed and been shriven, through the grace of our Lord!
And so then her ghostly father was brought to her, to be shriven of her misdeeds.
For truly, no man that excuses himself for his sin may be shriven of it until he meekly acknowledges it.
I do not say that if you are sent to the director for a certain sin you are bound to show unto him all the rest of your sins, whereof you have been shriven by your own curate, save and except you wish to do so out of humility.
And when you shall be shriven by your curate, tell him as well all of the sins that you have done since last you were shriven.
Men should even bear in mind the shame that is to come at the day of judgment to those who are not penitent and shriven in this present life.
The priests gave me dry bread and bade me come to mass and be shriven, but what sins has an old woman like me?
And so he spoke with the priests, and they have made it so in ritual, that when any new Companion, not seasoned by battle—where he is tried by the very confrontation with death—when an unblooded man joins with the Companions, there is this special testing, that he shall watch and pray all night by his arms, and in the morning confess all his sins and be shriven, and then be made knight.
I shall ask the priest to say holy service for those of you who wish to be shriven of any sins before you ride into battle, tomorrow at dawn.
So today he was walking the two miles into town to pay his phone bill in person-to show his peers that he did not intend to be shriven of his humanity.
As he looked at Foamfollower, the tall being shriven of everything except the power to endure, self-divested, for reasons Covenant could not comprehend, of every quality of humor or even dignity as if they were mere appurtenances, he felt irrationally in debt to Foamfollower, as if he had been sold-behind his back and with blithe unregard for his consent-into the usury of his only friend.