Shrove Tuesday

noun

ˈshrōv- 

 especially Southern  ˈsrōv-

: the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday

Examples of Shrove Tuesday in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The church will also host a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on Feb. 13, from 5 to 7 p.m. Pancakes, fruit, sausages and more will be available for the celebration before the season of Lent begins. —Tracy Trobridge, Baltimore Sun, 1 Feb. 2024

Pancakes are popular foods for Shrove Tuesday because they are made with fatty ingredients that people are supposed to stay away from during Lent. —Cameron Jenkins, Good Housekeeping, 24 Jan. 2023

Blanck said that his church wanted to sponsor a Shrove Tuesday performance by his jazz group and felt that Hey Nonny would be a better location than the church. —Myrna Petlicki, chicagotribune.com, 15 Feb. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Middle English schroftewesday, from schrof- (as in schroftide) + tewesday Tuesday

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

Shrove Tuesday

noun

ˈshrōv- 

: the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday

Etymology

Middle English schroftewesday "Shrove Tuesday," from schrof, from shriven "to shrive, give a penance or pardon to," and tewesday "Tuesday"; shriven, from Old English scrifan "to shrive, prescribe," from Latin scribere "to write" — related to scribe, tuesday see Word History at tuesday