constrict
Americanverb
-
to make smaller or narrower, esp by contracting at one place
-
to hold in or inhibit; limit
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of constrict
1375–1425 for earlier past participle sense; 1725–35 for current senses; late Middle English < Latin constrīctus (past participle of constringere to draw together, tie up), equivalent to con- con- + strīc- (variant stem of stringere to tie; see strict) + -tus past participle suffix
Explanation
To constrict is to squeeze uncomfortably. If your new turtleneck sweater constricts your neck, the sweater is probably too small. When things constrict, they become narrow or make something else become narrow. A boa constrictor kills its prey when it constricts the animal's body until it can no longer breathe, and a necktie that's tied too tightly constricts your neck. In medicine, certain conditions or medications can constrict openings such as airways or blood vessels, sometimes dangerously. The Latin root is constringere, "to bind together or tie tightly."
Vocabulary lists containing constrict
Bridge to Terabithia
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"The Leap," Vocabulary from the short story
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Part 1 Vocabulary (Unit 1)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In these bookcases, for example, there is a book I ordered from Amazon based on the title alone: “How to Good-bye Depression: If You Constrict Anus 100 Times Everyday. Malarkey? Or Effective Way?”
From Washington Post • Oct. 18, 2019
Constrict, kon-strikt′, v.t. to press together: to contract: to cramp.—p.adj.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
