shrink /shringk/

1. To contract
2. To become smaller in size or extent
3. To shrivel
4. To wither
5. To dwindle
6. To give way
7. To draw back, retreat
8. To withdraw
9. To show or feel repugnance or reluctance
10. To recoil
11. To shrink-wrap (informal)

1. To cause to contract, shrink or dwindle
2. To withdraw
3. To fix by allowing to contract

1. An act of shrinking
2. Contraction
3. Withdrawal or recoil
4. A psychiatrist, contracted from headshrinker (slang, orig US)

shrinkˈable adjective

shrinkˈage noun

1. An act of shrinking
2. Extent of such diminution
3. In meat marketing, the loss of carcase weight during shipping, preparation for sale, etc
4. In manufacturing, etc, the loss of goods resulting from pilfering, breakages, etc

shrinkˈer noun

shrinkˈing adjective

shrinkˈingly adverb

shrunk or shrunkˈen adjective

Contracted, reduced, shrivelled

shrinking violet see under violet

shrinkˈpack noun

A shrink-wrapped package

shrinkˈ-proof or shrink-resisˈtant adjective

That will not shrink on washing

shrinkˈ-resistance noun

shrinkˈ-wrap transitive verb

To package (goods) in a clear plastic film that is subsequently shrunk (eg by heating) so that it fits tightly (also noun)

• gulleyed
• gulleying
• gulleys
• gullibilities
• gullibility
• gullible
• gullied
• gullies
• gulling
• gullish
• gulls
• gull-wing
• gully
• gully-hole
• gully-holes
• gully-hunter
• gully-hunters
• gullying
• gully-raker
• gully-rakers
• gulosities
• gulosity
• gulp
• gulped
• gulper