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
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
OTHER WORDS FROM shrink
Words nearby shrink
shrimp plant,
shrimper,
shrimpfish,
shrine,
shriner,
shrink,
shrink fit,
shrink-wrap,
shrinkage,
shrinker,
shrinking violet
Example sentences from the Web for shrink
British Dictionary definitions for shrink
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 of shrink
shrinkable, adjective shrinker, noun shrinking, adjective shrinkingly, 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