shrink
[ shringk ]
/ ʃrɪŋk /
verb (used without object), shrank or, often, shrunk; shrunk or shrunk·en; shrink·ing.
verb (used with object), shrank or, often, shrunk; shrunk or shrunk·en; shrink·ing.
to cause to shrink or contract; reduce.
Textiles. to cause (a fabric) to contract during finishing, thus preventing shrinkage, during laundering, of the garments made from it.
noun
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Nearby words
shrimp plant, shrimper, shrimpfish, shrine, shriner, shrink, shrink fit, shrink-wrap, shrinkage, shrinker, shrinking violet
Origin of shrink
before 900; 1955–60 for def 9; Middle English schrinken, Old English scrincan; cognate with Middle Dutch schrinken, Swedish skrynka to shrink, Norwegian skrukka old shrunken woman
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for shrinking
British Dictionary definitions for shrinking
shrink
/ (ʃrɪŋk) /
verb shrinks, shrinking, shrank, shrunk, shrunk or shrunken
to contract or cause to contract as from wetness, heat, cold, etc
to become or cause to become smaller in size
(intr often foll by from)
- to recoil or withdrawto shrink from the sight of blood
- to feel great reluctance (at)to shrink from killing an animal
noun
the act or an instance of shrinking
slang a psychiatrist
Derived Forms
shrinkable, adjectiveshrinker, nounshrinking, adjectiveshrinkingly, adverbWord Origin for shrink
Old English scrincan; related to Old Norse skrokkr torso, Old Swedish skrunkin wrinkled, Old Norse hrukka a crease, Icelandic skrukka wrinkled woman
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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