shrink

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To become constricted from heat, moisture, or cold.
2. v. To become reduced in amount or value; dwindle: His savings quickly shrank.
3. v. To draw back instinctively, as from something alarming; recoil.
4. v. To show reluctance; hesitate: shrink from making such a sacrifice.
5. v. To cause to shrink.
6. n. The act of shrinking.
7. n. The degree to which something shrinks; shrinkage.
8. n. Slang A psychotherapist.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To contract spontaneously; draw or be drawn into less length, breadth, or compass by an inherent property: as, woolen cloth shrinks in hot water; a flaxen or hempen line shrinks in a humid atmosphere.
2. To diminish; reduce.
3. To shrivel: become wrinkled by contraction, as the skin.
4. To draw back or retire, as from danger; recoil physically, as in fear, horror, or distrust; sometimes, simply, to go aside.
5. To decline or hesitate to act, as from fear; recoil morally or mentally, as in fear, horror, distrust, distaste, and the like.
6. To express fear, horror, or pain by shrugging or contracting the body; wince; flinch.
7. Synonyms See shrivel.
8. 4–6. To flinch, blench.
9. To cause to contract: as, to shrink flannel by immersing it in boiling water.
10. To make smaller; make appear smaller.
11. To withdraw: formerly with in.
12. The act of shrinking; a spontaneous drawing into less compass.
13. A contraction.
14. A shrug.
15. A diminution; a falling away; shrinkage.
16. A withdrawing from fear or horror; recoil.

Wiktionary

1. v. ergative To contract, to (cause to) become smaller.
2. v. intransitive To cower or flinch.
3. v. intransitive, figuratively To attempt to avoid an unwanted or intimidating duty; as, to shrink from a task.
4. n. shrinkage; contraction; recoil
5. n. slang, sometimes pejorative A psychiatrist or therapist; a head-shrinker.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To wrinkle, bend, or curl; to shrivel; hence, to contract into a less extent or compass; to gather together; to become compacted.
2. v. To withdraw or retire, as from danger; to decline action from fear; to recoil, as in fear, horror, or distress.
3. v. rare To express fear, horror, or pain by contracting the body, or part of it; to shudder; to quake.
4. v. To cause to contract or shrink.
5. v. obsolete To draw back; to withdraw.
6. n. The act shrinking; shrinkage; contraction; also, recoil; withdrawal.
7. n. Coll. a psychiatrist.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. draw back, as with fear or pain
2. v. become smaller or draw together
3. v. reduce in size; reduce physically
4. v. decrease in size, range, or extent
5. n. a physician who specializes in psychiatry
6. v. wither, as with a loss of moisture