Shrank

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Shrank \Shrank\,
     imp. of {Shrink}.
     [1913 Webster] Shrap

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:



  Shrink \Shrink\, v. i. [imp. {Shrank}or {Shrunk}p. p. {Shrunk}
     or {Shrunken}, but the latter is now seldom used except as a
     participial adjective; p. pr. & vb. n. {Shrinking}.] [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}.]
     1. 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.                                  --Spenser.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              I have not found that water, by mixture of ashes,
              will shrink or draw into less room.   --Bacon.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Against this fire do I shrink up.     --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              And shrink like parchment in consuming fire.
                                                    --Dryden.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              All the boards did shrink.            --Coleridge.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. 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. --Pope.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              They assisted us against the Thebans when you shrank
              from the task.                        --Jowett
                                                    (Thucyd.)
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. To express fear, horror, or pain by contracting the body,
        or part of it; to shudder; to quake. [R.] --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  shrink
       n : a physician who specializes in psychiatry [syn: {psychiatrist},
            {head-shrinker}]
       v 1: wither, especially with a loss of moisture; "The fruit dried
            and shriveled" [syn: {shrivel}, {shrivel up}, {wither}]
       2: draw back, as with fear or pain; "she flinched when they
          showed the slaughtering of the calf" [syn: {flinch}, {squinch},
           {funk}, {cringe}, {wince}, {recoil}, {quail}]
       3: reduce in size; reduce physically; "Hot water will shrink
          the sweater"; "Can you shrink this image?" [syn: {reduce}]
       4: become smaller or draw together; "The fabric shrank"; "The
          balloon shrank" [syn: {contract}] [ant: {expand}, {stretch}]
       5: decrease in size, range, or extent; "His earnings shrank";
          "My courage shrivelled when I saw the task before me"
          [syn: {shrivel}]
       [also: {shrunken}, {shrunk}, {shrank}]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  shrank
       See {shrink}