constrict

Verb
US[kuhn-strikt]/kənˈstrɪkt/2 syllables

Open English WordNet

Verb (2)constricted, constricting

  1. squeeze or press together“she compressed her lips”“the spasm contracted the muscle”Synonyms: compresssqueezecompactcontractpressMore general tightenMore specific choke, strangulate, prim, convulse, bear down, astringe
  2. become tight or as if tight“Her throat constricted”Synonyms: constringenarrowMore general tightenMore specific astringe, strangulate
Word of the day · Nov 7About this word
perennialadjective

What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz

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Webster's Dictionary (1913)

Con·strict′ transitive verb [past tense & past participle Constricted; present participle & verbal noun Constricting.]

Origin: L. constrictus, p. p. of constringere. See Constrain.

To draw together; to render narrower or smaller; to bind; to cramp; to contract or cause to shrink.

Such things as constrict the fibers.— John Arbuthnot
Membranous organs inclosing a cavity which their contraction serves to constrict.— Todd & Bowman.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54

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