shrivel

[ shriv-uhl ]
/ ˈʃrɪv əl /

verb (used with or without object), shriv·eled, shriv·el·ing or (especially British) shriv·elled, shriv·el·ling.

to contract and wrinkle, as from great heat, cold, or dryness.
to wither; make or become helpless or useless.

Origin of shrivel

1595–1605; akin to Swedish skroflig uneven, rough (perhaps orig. wrinkled, shrunken), dialectal Swedish skryvla to wrinkle, Old English sceorfan to roughen; see scurf

OTHER WORDS FROM shrivel

un·shriv·eled, adjective un·shriv·elled, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for shrivelled

British Dictionary definitions for shrivelled

shrivel
/ (ˈʃrɪvəl) /

verb -els, -elling or -elled or US -els, -eling or -eled

to make or become shrunken and withered
to lose or cause to lose vitality

Word Origin for shrivel

C16: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Swedish dialect skryvla wrinkle