Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The three days, Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday, preceding Ash Wednesday.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Time of confession; specifically, the period between the evening of the Saturday before Quinquagesima Sunday and the morning of Ash Wednesday, as being the period when people were shriven in preparation for Lent: still further restricted to designate Shrove Tuesday.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The days immediately preceding Ash Widnesday, especially the period between the evening before Quinguagesima Sunday and the morning of Ash Wednesday.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The three days immediately preceding Lent; Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday, preceding Ash Wednesday.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun immediately preceding Lent

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English schroftide : schrof-, shriving (from schriven, to shrive; see shrive) + tid, time; see tide.]

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Examples

  • "I was obsessed with that music," he said, noting his ideas for "Central Market" took a cue from "Petrushka," Stravinsky's evocation of the Shrovetide Fair in 19th century St. Petersburg.

    Whistle While He Works Steve Dollar 2011

  • Several readers were confused about a Shrovetide game being played in what is, in the painting, obviously harvest time in August or September.

    Corrections and clarifications 2011

  • With their visors forged and embossed as humorous or grotesque human masks, such helmets were often worn in tournaments held during the exuberant pre-Lenten (Shrovetide) festivals, celebrations somewhat akin to the modern Mardi Gras.

    Would This 16th Century Helmet Terrify a Jousting Opponent? 2009

  • In Ashborne, increasing numbers of "tourists" join in the Royal Shrovetide Football Match, a riotous two-day cross between rugby and soccer that has few rules and uses the entire English Midlands town as its playing field.

    Honestly, This Part of England Has the World's Biggest Liars Alistair MacDonald 2011

  • "Merrymakers at Shrovetide" about 1615 shows all the trappings of a Dutch pre-Lenten feast.

    Don't Miss: July 23-29 2011

  • The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Bequest of Benjamin Altman 'Young Man and Woman in an Inn ("Yonker Ramp and His Sweetheart")' (1623) The selection spans most of Hals's career, beginning with the bawdy "Merrymakers at Shrovetide" (c. 1616-17), a densely packed image of revelers that pits a red-faced toper against a young blonde whose flushed cheeks accord nicely with her coral jewelry and elegant, lace-trimmed red dress.

    Picture-Perfect Rogues' Gallery Karen Wilkin 2011

  • Events such as the Shrovetide football match in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, where both the upper and lower halves of the town collide en masse around a ball, or the ancient sport of dwile flonking from the Norfolk/Suffolk area, which is half-custom/half-drinking game and was recently banned under health and safety regulations.

    This week's new DVD & Blu-ray 2011

  • In many places this Sunday after and the next two days were used to prepare for Lent by a good confession; hence in England we find the names Shrove Sunday and Shrovetide.

    Quinquagesima Sunday elena maria vidal 2009

  • To summarize:Petrushka "Petey" is the story of three puppets - the forlorn and homely Petrushka, a beautiful ballerina, and a mysterious and gaudily dressed Moor - brought to life by their showman master at a Russian Shrovetide fair.

    Petrushka elena maria vidal 2009

  • The mysterious, magical tale of love and revenge unfolds at a Russian Shrovetide fair, centering around a puppet called "Petrushka," who in Pinocchio-style comes to life.

    Petrushka elena maria vidal 2009

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