Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Summary, careless treatment; scant attention.
- noun Quick work.
- noun A short respite, as from death.
- noun The brief time before execution granted a condemned prisoner for confession and absolution.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun informal A
quick rejection , especially one which isimpolite and undertaken without properconsideration .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a brief and unsympathetic rejection
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Originally, a rushed sacrament of confession (shrift) given to a prisoner who was to be executed very soon.
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Examples
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