constrict

[kuhn-strikt]

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verb (used with object)

to draw or press in; cause to contract or shrink; compress.

to slow or stop the natural course or development of: Greed and aggressiveness constricted the nation's cultural life.

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

Related formsnon·con·strict·ed, adjectivenon·con·strict·ing, adjectiveun·con·strict·ed, adjectivewell-con·strict·ed, adjective

Synonyms for constrict

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR constrict ON THESAURUS.COM

1. cramp, squeeze, bind, tighten.

Antonyms for constrict

1. expand.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for constrict

circumscribe, cramp, compress, restrict, curb, strangle, condense, tauten, restrain, confine, shrink, tighten, concentrate, tense, clench, squeeze, tuck, pinch, choke, contract

Examples from the Web for constrict

Contemporary Examples of constrict

I had saline mixed with Lidocaine pumped into my face to constrict my blood vessels and numb me so I could endure the zapping.
Hey, Ashley Judd: I’m Puffy From Cosmetic Surgery—And Proud of It
Samantha Marshall
April 14, 2012

Historical Examples of constrict

A thread or the like tied about a blood vessel or other structure to constrict it.
Surgery, with Special Reference to Podiatry
Maximilian Stern
Clothing should not constrict the body or hamper its movements.
American Red Cross Text-Book on Home Hygiene and Care of the Sick
Jane A. Delano
The error deforms his faith as much as it tends to stiffen and constrict his life.
Studies of Christianity
James Martineau
High stand-up collars are certainly to be avoided, as they constrict the Adam's apple and muffle the tone of the voice.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 147, August 12, 1914
Various
By virtue of this power they are enabled to constrict many dead animal matters.
The Action of Medicines in the System
Frederick William Headland

British Dictionary definitions for constrict

constrict

verb (tr)

to make smaller or narrower, esp by contracting at one place

to hold in or inhibit; limit

Word Origin for constrict

C18: from Latin constrictus compressed, from constringere to tie up together; see constrain

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for constrict

early 15c., from Latin constrictus, past participle of constringere "compress" (see constrain). A direct borrowing from Latin of the same word which, via French, became constrain. Related: Constricted; constricting.

constrict in Medicine

constrict

[kən-strĭkt′]

v.

To make smaller or narrower, especially by binding or squeezing.