To shudder or feel horror; a creeping sense of fear or dread, or something gruesome or horrifying.
From Old English 'gruwan' meaning 'to shudder,' related to Old Norse 'gryja' (to dread). The word appears in 'gruesome' and is related to shivering from cold or fear.
The word 'grue' lives on mainly in fantasy literature (like Zork's famous 'grue' monster that eats you in the dark), but it's a genuine Old English word that shows how medieval people connected physical shuddering with emotional fear!
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