shrink has definitions from the fields of medicine,psychology,psychiatry,work
1
[ verb ] wither, esp. with a loss of moisture

Examples

"The fruit dried and shriveled"

Used in print

(J. W. C. Hagstrom et al., "Debilitating muscular...)

In February , 1959 , during the second admission to The New_York_Hospital , a biopsy specimen of the left gastrocnemius showed striking increase in the sarcolemmal sheath nuclei and shrunken muscle_fibers in several sections .

2
[ verb ] draw back, as with fear or pain

Examples

"she flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf"

Used in print

(Francis Pollini, Night....)

The man shrank before the hot fury , searching frantically for the answer * * h Finnegan woke_up .

Related terms

move shrink_back wince

3
[ verb ] reduce in size; reduce physically

Synonyms

reduce

Examples

"Hot water will shrink the sweater" "Can you shrink this image?"

Used in print

(U.S. News and World Report,...)

Rather , they are impressed with the_British Government 's success in forcing - and helping - the_British textile industry to shrink and to change_over to other products .

(Newark Evening News...)

But that heritage is shrinking even faster .

4
[ verb ] become smaller or draw together

Synonyms

contract

Examples

"The fabric shrank" "The balloon shrank"

Used in print

(McCall's Needlework and Crafts, Spring-Summer,...)

Do not use wood as it will not shrink with the clay and would cause breakage .

5
[ verb ] decrease in size, range, or extent

Synonyms

shrivel

Examples

"His earnings shrank" "My courage shrivelled when I saw the task before me"

Related terms

decrease shrinking

6
[ noun ] (medicine,psychology,psychiatry,work) a physician who specializes in psychiatry
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