shrink

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• COUNT in NET: 2 in 2 verses (in NT : 2 in 2 verses)

CIDE DICTIONARY

shrink, v. i. [OE. shrinken, schrinken, AS. scrincan; akin to OD. schrincken, and probably to Sw. skrynka a wrinkle, skrynkla to wrinkle, to rumple, and E. shrimp, n. & v., scrimp. CF. Shrimp.].

•  To wrinkle, bend, or curl; to shrivel; hence, to contract into a less extent or compass; to gather together; to become compacted.  [1913 Webster]

  "And on a broken reed he still did stay
  His feeble steps, which shrunk when hard thereon he lay."  [1913 Webster]

  "I have not found that water, by mixture of ashes, will shrink or draw into less room."  [1913 Webster]

  "Against this fire do I shrink up."  [1913 Webster]

  "And shrink like parchment in consuming fire."  [1913 Webster]

  "All the boards did shrink."  [1913 Webster]
•  To withdraw or retire, as from danger; to decline action from fear; to recoil, as in fear, horror, or distress.  [1913 Webster]

  "What happier natures shrink at with affright,
  The hard inhabitant contends is right."  [1913 Webster]

  "They assisted us against the Thebans when you shrank from the task."  [1913 Webster]
•  To express fear, horror, or pain by contracting the body, or part of it; to shudder; to quake.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

shrink, v. t. 

•  To cause to contract or shrink; as, to shrink finnel by imersing it in boiling water.  [1913 Webster]
•  To draw back; to withdraw.  [1913 Webster]

  "The Libyc Hammon shrinks his horn."  [1913 Webster]

To shrink on (Mach.), to fix (one piece or part) firmly around (another) by natural contraction in cooling, as a tire on a wheel, or a hoop upon a cannon, which is made slightly smaller than the part it is to fit, and expanded by heat till it can be slipped into place.

shrink, n. 

•  The act shrinking; shrinkage; contraction; also, recoil; withdrawal.  [1913 Webster]

  "Yet almost wish, with sudden shrink,
  That I had less to praise."  [1913 Webster]
•  a psychiatrist.  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

shrink, v. & n.
--v. (past shrank; past part. shrunk or (esp. as adj.) shrunken)
1 tr. & intr. make or become smaller; contract, esp. by the action of moisture, heat, or cold.
2 intr. (usu. foll. by from) a retire; recoil; flinch; cower (shrank from her touch). b be averse from doing (shrinks from meeting them).
3 (as shrunken adj.) (esp. of a face, person, etc.) having grown smaller esp. because of age, illness, etc.
--n.
1 the act or an instance of shrinking; shrinkage.
2 sl. a psychiatrist (from 'head-shrinker').

Idiom

shrinking violet an exaggeratedly shy person. shrink into oneself become withdrawn. shrink on slip (a metal tyre etc.) on while expanded with heat and allow to tighten. shrink-resistant (of textiles etc.) resistant to shrinkage when wet etc. shrink-wrap (-wrapped, -wrapping) enclose (an article) in (esp. transparent) film that shrinks tightly on to it.

Derivative

shrinkable adj. shrinker n. shrinkingly adv. shrink-proof adj.

Etymology

OE scrincan: cf. skrynka to wrinkle

THESAURUS

shrink

Sanforize, abate, ablate, about the bush, ache, agonize, ail, analyst, anguish, attenuate, avoid, avoid the limelight, balk at, bate, be eaten away, beat around, beg the question, behavior therapist, blanch, blench, blink, blush unseen, boggle, clinical psychologist, compress, concentrate, condense, constrict, consume, consume away, contract, corrode, cower, cringe, crouch, crumble, decline, decrease, deliquesce, demur, deplete, depreciate, desiccate, die away, diminish, dissipate, dive, dodge, drain, draw back, draw in, dribble away, drift away, droop, drop, drop off, dry up, duck, dwindle, ebb, emacerate, emaciate, equivocate, erode, evade, fade, fade away, fall, fall away, fall back, fall off, fall short, falter, feel pain, feel the pangs, fence, fight shy of, flag, flinch, funk, go, go away, grimace, hang back, hang off, have a misery, have qualms, headshrinker, hedge, hem and haw, hesitate, hold off, huddle, hurt, hypnotherapist, jib, languish, lessen, let up, macerate, make bones about, melt away, move away, move off, narcotherapist, parch, parry, pause, pine, plummet, plunge, pound, preshrink, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, psychoanalyzer, psychotherapeutist, psychotherapist, pull away, pull back, pull in, pull out, pussyfoot, put off, quail, recede, recoil, reel back, retire, retract, retreat, retrocede, run low, sag, scruple, sear, sheer off, shift, shift off, shoot, shrink back, shrink from, shrinker, shrivel, shrivel up, shy, shy at, shy away, shy off, sidestep, sink, slink, smart, squander, squinch, stand off, start, start aside, start back, step aside, stick at, stickle, strain, subside, suffer, swerve, tail off, thin, thrill, throb, tingle, turn aside, twinge, twitch, wane, ward off, waste, waste away, waver, weaken, wear, wear away, weasel, weasel out, weazen, widen the distance, wilt, wince, withdraw, withdraw from, wither, wizen, writhe

ROGET THESAURUS

shrink

Unwillingness

VB be unwilling, nill, dislike, grudge, begrudge, not be able to find it in one's heart to, not have the stomach to, demur, stick at, scruple, stickle, hang fire, run rusty, recoil, shrink, swerve, hesitate, avoid, oppose, dissent, refuse.

Decrease

VB decrease, diminish, lessen, abridge, shrink, drop off, fall off, tail off, fall away, waste, wear, wane, ebb, decline, descend, subside, melt away, die away, retire into the shade, hide its diminished head, fall to a low ebb, run low, languish, decay, crumble, bate, abate, dequantitate, discount, depreciate, extenuate, lower, weaken, attenuate, fritter away, mitigate, dwarf, throw into the shade, reduce, shorten, subtract.

Sensibility

VB be sensible, have a tender heart, have a warm heart, have a sensitive heart, take to heart, treasure up in the heart, shrink, die of a rose in aromatic pain, touch to the quick, touch on the raw, touch a raw nerve.

Fear

VB fear, stand in awe of, be afraid, have qualms, apprehend, sit upon thorns, eye askance, distrust, hesitate, falter, funk, cower, crouch, skulk, let 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would' take fright, take alarm, start, wince, flinch, shy, shrink, fly, tremble, shake, shiver, shiver in one's shoes, shudder, flutter, shake like an aspen leaf, tremble like an aspen leaf, tremble all over, quake, quaver, quiver, quail, grow pale, turn pale, blench, stand aghast, not dare to say one's soul is one's own, inspire fear, excite fear, inspire awe, excite awe, raise apprehensions, be in a daze, bulldoze, faze, feeze, give an alarm, raise an alarm, sound an alarm, alarm, startle, scare, cry 'wolf', disquiet, dismay, fright, frighten, terrify, astound, fright from one's propriety, fright out of one's senses, fright out of one's wits, fright out of one's seven senses, awe, strike all of a heap, strike an awe into, strike terror, harrow up the soul, appall, unman, petrify, horrify, pile on the agony, make one's flesh creep, make one's hair stand on end, make one's blood run cold, make one's teeth chatter, take away one's breath, stop one's breath, make one tremble, haunt, prey on the mind, weigh on the mind, put in fear, put in bodily fear, terrorize, intimidate, cow, daunt, overawe, abash, deter, discourage, browbeat, bully, threaten.

Contraction

VB become small, become smaller, lessen, decrease, grow less, dwindle, shrink, contract, narrow, shrivel, collapse, wither, lose flesh, wizen, fall away, waste, wane, ebb, decay, be smaller than, fall short of, not come up to, render smaller, lessen, diminish, contract, draw in, narrow, coarctate, boil down, constrict, constringe, condense, compress, squeeze, corrugate, crimp, crunch, crush, crumple up, warp, purse up, pack, squeeze, stow, pinch, tighten, strangle, cramp, dwarf, bedwarf, shorten, circumscribe, restrain, (subtraction) 38 abrade, pare, reduce, attenuate, rub down, scrape, file, file down, grind, grind down, chip, shave, shear, wear down.

Regression

VB recede, regrade, return, revert, retreat, retire, retrograde, retrocede, back out, back down, balk, crawfish, crawl, withdraw, rebound, go back, come back, turn back, hark back, draw back, fall back, get back, put back, run back, lose ground, fall astern, drop astern, backwater, put about, backtrack, take the back track, veer round, double, wheel, countermarch, ebb, regurgitate, jib, shrink, shy, turn tail, turn round, turn upon one's heel, turn one's back upon, retrace one's steps, dance the back step, sound a retreat, beat a retreat, go home.

Recession

VB recede, go, move back, move from, retire, withdraw, shrink, back off, come away, move away, back away, go away, get away, drift away, depart, retreat, move off, stand off, sheer off, fall back, stand aside, run away, remove, shunt, distance.