Online Etymology Dictionary

shove: O.E. scufan "push away" (class II strong verb; past tense sceaf, pp. scoven), from P.Gmc. *skeub-, *skub- (cf. O.N. skufa, O.Fris. skuva, Du. schuiven, O.H.G. scioban, Ger. schieben "to push, thrust," Goth. af-skiuban) "to put away," from PIE base *skeubh- "to shove" (cf. scuffle, shuffle, shovel; likely cognates outside Gmc. include Lith. skubti "to make haste," skubinti "to hasten"). Replaced by push in all but colloquial and nautical usage. The noun is attested from c.1300. Shove off "leave" (1844) is from boating.
shovel: O.E. scofl, sceofol, related to scufan (see shove), from P.Gmc. *skublo (cf. O.S. skufla, Swed. skovel, M.L.G. schufle, M.Du. shuffel, Du. schoffel, O.H.G. scuvala, Ger. Schaufel). The verb is attested from mid-15c. Shovel-ready, with reference to construction projects, is attested by 2006.
show (v.): O.E. sceawian "to look at, see," from W.Gmc. *skauwojanan (cf. O.S. skauwon "to look at," O.Fris. skawia, Du. schouwen, O.H.G. scouwon "to look at;" Du. schoon, Goth. skaunjai "beautiful," originally "conspicuous"), from P.Gmc. root *skau- "behold, look at," from PIE *skou-, variant of base *skeue- "to pay attention, perceive" (see caveat). Causal meaning "let be seen, put in sight, make known" evolved c.1200 for unknown reasons and is unique to Eng. (Ger. schauen still means "look at"). Spelling shew, popular 18c. and surviving into early 19c., represents obsolete pronunciation (rhymes with view).
show (n.): c.1300, "act of exhibiting to view," from show (v.). Sense of "appearance put on with intention to deceive" is recorded from c.1526. Meaning "display, spectacle" is first recorded 1561; that of "ostentatious display" is from 1713 (showy is from 1712). Sense of "entertainment program on radio or TV" is first recorded 1932. Meaning "third place in a horse race" is from 1925, Amer.Eng. Show of hands is attested from 1789; Phrase for show "for appearance's sake" is from c.1700. Show business is attested from 1850; shortened form show biz first attested 1945. Expression the show must go on is first attested 1941. Show-stopper is from 1926; show trial first recorded 1937.
show up: "arrive," 1888, see show (v.). Meaning "to disgrace through exposure" is attested from 1826.
show-and-tell: elementary school teaching tool, 1948, Amer.Eng.
show-down: 1904, from poker players' slang term for the act of laying down the hands face-up (1892); see show (v.).
show-off: 1776 (n.) "a display;" see show (v.). In ref. to the person who makes an ostentatious display, attested from 1924. The verb is first recorded 1793.
showboat: 1869, "river steamer on which theatrical performances are given," from show (n.) + boat. The verb meaning "to show off" is attested from 1951.
showcase: "glass case for exhibiting valuable things," 1835, from show (v.) + case (q.v.). In the extended, theatrical sense, it is attested from 1937. The verb is first recorded 1945.
showdown: 1892, from card-playing (especially poker), from show + down. Figurative sense is from 1904.
shower (n.): O.E. scur "short fall of rain, fall of missiles or blows," from W.Gmc. *skuraz (cf. O.N. skur, O.S., O.H.G. scur, Ger. Schauer, Goth. skura, in skura windis "windstorm"), from base *skuro, from PIE base *kew-(e)ro- "north, north wind" (cf. L. caurus "northwest wind;" O.C.S. severu "north, north wind;" Lith. siaurus "raging, stormy," siaurys "north wind," siaure "north"). Sense of "shower bath" first recorded 1851. The verb is from 1573. Meaning "large number of gifts bestowed on a bride" (1904, Amer.Eng. colloquial) later was extended to the party at which it happens (1926).
showgirl: "actress whose role is decorative rather than histrionic" [OED], 1836, from show (v.) + girl.
showmanship: 1859, from showman "one who presents shows" (1734); see show (n.).
showroom: "room for displaying furniture for sale," 1616, from show (v.) + room.
showy: 1712, from show + -y (2). Related: Showiness.
shrapnel: 1806, from Gen. Henry Shrapnel (1761-1842), who invented a type of exploding, fragmenting shell when he was a lieutenant in the Royal Artillery during the Peninsular War. The invention consisted of a hollow cannon ball, filled with shot, which burst in mid-air; his name for it was spherical case ammunition. Sense of "shell fragments" is first recorded 1940. The surname is attested from 13c., and is believed to be a metathesized form of Charbonnel, a dim. form of O.Fr. charbon "charcoal," in ref. to complexion, hair color, or some other quality.
shred: O.E. screade "piece cut off," from W.Gmc. *skraudas (cf. M.L.G. schrot "piece cut off," O.H.G. scrot, "a cutting, piece cut off," Ger. Schrot "small shot," O.N. skrydda "shriveled skin"), from PIE base *skreu- "to cut, cutting tool" (cf. L. scrutari "to search, examine," from scruta "trash, frippery;" O.E. scrud "dress, garment;" see shroud). The verb is from O.E. screadian "prune, cut" (cf. M.Du. scroden, Du. schroeien, O.H.G. scrotan, Ger. schroten "to shred"). Shredded wheat is recorded fron 1899; shredder in the paper disposal sense is from 1950.
shredder: 1570s, agent noun from shred.
shrew: "small mammal," O.E. screawa "shrew-mouse," unknown outside English, perhaps from P.Gmc. *skreu- "to cut" (see shred). Alternative O.E. word for it was scirfemus, from sceorfan "to gnaw." The meaning "peevish, malignant, clamorous, spiteful, vexatious, turbulent woman" [Johnson] is late 14c., from earlier sense of "spiteful person" (male or female), mid-13c., traditionally said to derive from some supposed malignant influence of the animal, which was once believed to have a venomous bite and was held in superstitious dread.
shrewd: c.1300, "wicked, evil," from shrewe "wicked man" (see shrew). Cf. crabbed from crab, dogged from dog, wicked from witch. The sense of "cunning" is first recorded 1520.
shrewish: late 14c., “wicked, malignant,” from shrew + -ish. Of women, from 1560s. Related: Shrewishly; shrewishness.
Shrewsbury: has one of the most complex developments of English place names and illustrates the changes wrought in Old English words by Anglo-Norman scribes who could not pronounce them. Recorded 1016 as Scrobbesbyrig, it originally may have meant "the fortified place in (a district called) The Scrub." The initial consonant cluster was impossible for the scribes, who simplified it to sr-, then added a vowel to make it easier still. The name was also changed by Anglo-Norman loss or metathesis of liquids in words containing -l-, -n-, or -r- (also evident in the derivatives of O.Fr. Berengier "bear-spear" -- O.H.G. Beringar -- name of one of the paladins in the Charlemagne romances and a common given name in England 12c. and 13c., which has come down in surnames as Berringer, Bellanger, Benger, etc.). Thus Sarop- became Salop- and in the 12c. and 13c. the overwhelming spelling in government records was Salopesberie, which accounts for the abbreviation Salop for the modern county. During all this, the Anglo-Saxon inhabitants (as opposed to the French scribes) still pronounced it properly, and regular sound evolutions probably produced a pronunciation something like Shrobesbury (which turns up on a 1327 patent roll). After a predictable -b- to -v- (a vowel in the Middle Ages) to -u- shift, the modern spelling begins to emerge 14c. and is fully established 15c.
shriek (v.): c.1200, scrycke, from O.N. skrækja "to screech" (see screech), probably of imitative origin. The noun is attested from 1590.
shrift: O.E. scrift "confession to priest, followed by penance and absolution," verbal noun from scrifan "to impose penance" (see shrive). Short shrift was originally the brief time for a condemned criminal to confess before execution (1594); fig. extension to "little or no consideration" is first attested 1814.
shrike: O.E. scric "thrush," lit. "bird with a shrill call," probably echoic of its cry and related to shriek (cf. O.N. skrikja "shrieker, shrike").
shrill: late 14c., schrylle "high-pitched, piercing" (of the voice), probably related to O.E. scralletan "to sound loudly," of imitative origin (cf. Low Ger. schrell, Ger. schrill "piercing, shrill"). The verb sense of "to sound shrilly" is recorded from c.1300.
shrimp: early 14c., "kind of slender shellfish," probably from O.N. skreppa "thin person," from P.Gmc. *skrempanan (see scrimp). Related to O.E. scrimman "to shrink." The connecting notion is probably "thinness" (cf. Dan. dialectal skrimpe "thin cattle"). The meaning "puny person" in Eng. is attested from late 14c.
shrine: O.E. scrin "ark of the covenant, case for relics," from L. scrinium "case or box for keeping papers," of unknown origin. A Shriner (1884) is a member of the Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (est. 1872).
shrink: O.E. scrincan (class III strong verb; past tense scranc, pp. scruncen), from P.Gmc. *skrenkanan (cf. M.Du. schrinken), probably from PIE base *(s)ker- "to turn, bend." Originally with causal shrench (cf. drink/drench). The meaning "draw back, recoil" (c.1300) perhaps was suggested by the behavior of snails. The slang sense of "psychiatrist" is first recorded 1966, from head-shrinker (1950). Shrink-wrap is attested from 1961.
shrinkage: 1800, from shrink + -age.
shrive: O.E. scrifan "assign, decree, impose penance," from W.Gmc. *skriban (cf. O.S. scriban, O.Du. scrivan, Du. schrijven "to write;" O.N. skrjpt "penance, confession"), an early borrowing from L. scribere "to write" (see script).
shrivel: 1560s (implied in shriveled), of unknown origin, perhaps from a Scandinavian source (cf. Swed. skryvla "to wrinkle, to shrivel").
Shropshire: shortened form of the old spelling of Shrewsbury + shire.
shroud: O.E. scrud "a garment, clothing," from W.Gmc. *skruthan, from P.Gmc. *skrud- "cut" (cf. O.N. skruð "shroud of a ship," Dan., Swed. skrud "dress, attire"), variant of *skreud- "to cut," related to O.E. screade (see shred). Meaning "cloth or sheet for burial" first attested 1560s. The verb is attested from c.1300, originally "to clothe;" meaning "to hide from view, conceal" (trans.) is attested from early 15c. Related: Shrouded; shrouding.
shrove: 1570s, shortened from Shrovetide (early 15c.), from schrof-, related to schrifen (see shrive). Shrove Tuesday (c.1500) is from practice of celebration and merrymaking before going to confession at the beginning of Lent.
shrub: O.E. scrybb "brushwood, shrubbery," a rare and late word, possibly from a Scandinavian source (cf. dial. Dan. skrub "brushwood," Norw. skrubba "dwarf tree"). Presumably related to N.Fris. skrobb "broom plant, brushwood;" W.Flem. schrobbe "climbing wild pea."
shrubbery: 1748, from shrub + -ery.
shrug (v.): c.1400, schurgyng, of uncertain origin. Perhaps connected to Dan. skrugge "to stoop, crouch." The noun is first recorded 1594. To shrug (something) off "dismiss" is recorded from 1909.
shtetl: small Jewish town or village in Eastern Europe, 1949, from Yiddish, lit. "little town," from dim. of Ger. Stadt "city, town," from O.H.G. stat "place," from PIE base *sta- "to stand" (see stet).
shtick: also schtick, 1959, from Yiddish shtik "an act, gimmick," lit. "a piece, slice," from M.H.G. stücke "piece, play," from O.H.G. stucki (see stock (n.1)).
shtup: "annoy," 1952; "have sexual intercourse with," 1967; from Yiddish, lit. "push, shove," related to Ger. dial. stupfen "to nudge, jog."
shuck (v.): 1819, "to remove the shucks from," from noun (1674) meaning "husk, pod, shell," Amer.Eng., of unknown origin. Later used in ref. to the shells of oysters and clams (1872). Interjection shucks is 1847, from sense of "something valueless" (not worth shucks). Many extended senses are from the notion of "stripping" an ear of corn, or from the capers associated with husking frolics; e.g. "to strip (off) one's clothes" (1848) and "to deceive, swindle, cheat, fool" (1959); phrase shucking and jiving "fooling, deceiving" is suggested from 1966, in U.S. black English, but cf. shuck (v.) a slang term among "cool musicians" for "to improvise chords, esp. to a piece of music one does not know" (1957), and shuck (n.) "a theft or fraud," in use by 1950s among U.S. blacks.
[B]lack senses probably fr[om] the fact that black slaves sang and shouted gleefully during corn-shucking season, and this behavior, along with lying and teasing, became a part of the protective and evasive behavior normally adopted towards white people in "traditional" race relations; the sense of "swindle" is perhaps related to the mid-1800s term to be shucked out, "be defeated, be denied victory," which suggests that the notion of stripping someone as an ear of corn is stripped may be basic in the semantics. ["Dictionary of American Slang"]
shudder (v.): early 14c., possibly from M.Du. schuderen "to shudder," or M.L.G. schoderen, both from P.Gmc. *skud-. The noun is from c.1600.
shuffle: 1532, probably from M.E. shovelen "to move with dragging feet," probably a freq. form of shoven (see shove). Or perhaps from Low Ger. schuffeln "to walk clumsily, deal dishonestly." Of playing cards, first recorded 1570. The noun is attested from 1628. Phrase lost in the shuffle is from 1930.
shuffleboard: 1530s, shovillaborde "shovel board," an unexplained alteration of shove-board (1520s), from shove + board (n.). Originally a tabletop game (c.1600), the large-scale version (1877) was invented for play on ocean liners.
shul: “synagogue,” 1874, from Yiddish shul, from Ger. Schule (see school).
shun: O.E. scunian "to shun, desist, to hide," of uncertain origin; not found in any other language. Perhaps ult. from PIE root *skeu- "to cover, to hide."
shunt (v.): early 13c., perhaps from shunen "to shun" (see shun). Adopted by railways 1842 as a verb, 1862 as a noun, and by technicians in the sense of "electrical conductor" from 1863. Medical use dates from 1923.
shush (v.): 1905, imitative of the command to be quiet.