Shrive

Shrive is a verb that means to free from guilt. The Latin word scribere (scri BEAR ay) means ‘to write.’ Over centuries, the meaning of our word of the day has shifted to means something done by a priest when he hears confession. It can also be used more generally. Here’s an example. When Mom suspected somebody was stealing cookies at night, she offered to shrive the guilty party provided they confess to the crime. This was an offer I couldn’t turn down, so I admitted that I was the thief.