shrink
UK: ʃrɪŋk | US: ʃrɪŋk
vi. to become smaller in size or volume (e.g., due to heat or moisture)
vt. to cause something to reduce in size
n. (slang) a psychiatrist or psychotherapist (short for "headshrinker")
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The word "shrink" traces back to Old English scrincan, meaning "to wither, contract, or draw back." It shares Germanic roots with Middle Dutch schrinken and Old Norse skrokkr (a shriveled thing). The modern sense of physical contraction (e.g., fabric shrinking) emerged early, while the slang term for a psychiatrist (1960s) humorously alludes to "shrinking" mental problems. The word’s core logic revolves around the idea of retreating or diminishing.
Wool sweaters often shrink if washed in hot water.
The company had to shrink its workforce due to budget cuts.
Metal contracts when cooled, causing it to shrink slightly.
(Slang) After his anxiety worsened, he decided to see a shrink.
The pond’s water level shrank during the drought.