shrewd

[shrood]
adjective, shrewd·er, shrewd·est.
1.
astute or sharp in practical matters: a shrewd politician.
2.
keen; piercing.
4.
Archaic. malicious.
5.
Obsolete, bad.
6.
Obsolete, shrewish.

Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English shrewed, in part representing shrew1 + -ed3 (cf. dogged, wicked); in part probably past participle of shrewen to curse, v. use of shrew1 (see -ed2)

shrewd·ly, adverb
shrewd·ness, noun
un·shrewd, adjective
un·shrewd·ly, adverb
un·shrewd·ness, noun


1. quick, discerning, perceptive, perspicacious, sagacious, keen; discriminating, intelligent. See acute.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Shrewd is a GRE word you need to know.
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amusing in a wry, subtle way, comic, entertaining, funny, risible, witty
To transfer the young from dependence on mother's milk to another form of nourishment.
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World English Dictionary
shrewd (ʃruːd) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj
1.  astute and penetrating, often with regard to business
2.  artful and crafty: a shrewd politician
3.  obsolete
 a.  piercing: a shrewd wind
 b.  spiteful
 
[C14: from shrew (obsolete vb) to curse, from shrew]
 
'shrewdly
 
adv
 
'shrewdness
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

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.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
There is, first, the shrewd philosophy of popular origin.
Shrewd marketing is important to the livelihood of any industry, particularly
  aquaculture.
The marketing plans of hungry museums and shrewd designers seem to make a
  pretty good fit too.
They have not issued their own candidate for the presidency, and are playing
  the shrewd game of holding on to their cards.
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