shrinking

[shringk] Origin

shrink

[shringk] verb, shrank or, often, shrunk; shrunk or shrunk·en; shrink·ing; noun
verb (used without object)
1.
to draw back, as in retreat or avoidance: to shrink from danger; to shrink from contact.
2.
to contract or lessen in size, as from exposure to conditions of temperature or moisture: This cloth will not shrink if washed in lukewarm water.
3.
to become reduced in extent or compass.
verb (used with object)
4.
to cause to shrink or contract; reduce.
5.
Textiles. to cause (a fabric) to contract during finishing, thus preventing shrinkage, during laundering, of the garments made from it.

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Shrinking is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
noun
6.
an act or instance of shrinking.
7.
a shrinking movement.
9.
Also, shrinker. Also called head shrinker. Slang. a psychotherapist, psychiatrist, or psychoanalyst.

Origin:
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

shrink·a·ble, adjective
shrink·ing·ly, adverb
non·shrink·a·ble, adjective
non·shrink·ing, adjective
non·shrink·ing·ly, adverb
EXPAND
o·ver·shrink, verb, o·ver·shrank or, often, o·ver·shrunk; o·ver·shrunk or o·ver·shrunk·en; o·ver·shrink·ing.
un·shrink·a·ble, adjective
un·shrink·ing, adjective
un·shrink·ing·ly, adverb
COLLAPSE


1. withdraw, recoil, quail. See wince. 3. See decrease.


3. increase.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To shrinking
Collins
World English Dictionary
shrink (ʃrɪŋk)
 
vb (often foll by from) , shrinks, shrinking, shrank, shrunk, shrunk, shrunken
1.  to contract or cause to contract as from wetness, heat, cold, etc
2.  to become or cause to become smaller in size
3.  a.  to recoil or withdraw: to shrink from the sight of blood
 b.  to feel great reluctance (at): to shrink from killing an animal
 
n
4.  the act or an instance of shrinking
5.  slang a psychiatrist
 
[Old English scrincan; related to Old Norse skrokkr torso, Old Swedish skrunkin wrinkled, Old Norse hrukka a crease, Icelandic skrukka wrinkled woman]
 
'shrinkable
 
adj
 
'shrinker
 
n
 
'shrinking
 
adj
 
'shrinkingly
 
adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

shrink
O.E. scrincan (class III strong verb; past tense scranc, pp. scruncen), from P.Gmc. *skrenkanan (cf. M.Du. schrinken), probably from PIE base *(s)ker- "to turn, bend." Originally with causal shrench (cf. drink/drench). The meaning "draw back, recoil" (c.1300) perhaps was suggested by the behavior of
EXPAND
snails. The slang sense of "psychiatrist" is first recorded 1966, from head-shrinker (1950). Shrink-wrap is attested from 1961.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary

shrink definition


  1. n.
    a psychoanalyst or psychotherapist. : I dropped a bundle on a shrink, but it didn't help me.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
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