shrunken
AdjectiveWordNet 3.0
Adjective (2)
- lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness“the old woman's shriveled skin”“he looked shriveled and ill”“a shrunken old man”“a lanky scarecrow of a man with withered face and lantern jaws — W.F.Starkie”“he did well despite his withered arm”“a wizened little man with frizzy grey hair”Synonyms: shriveledshrivelledwitheredwizenwizened
- reduced in efficacy or vitality or intensity“our shriveled receipts during the storm”“as the project wore on she found her enthusiasm shriveled”“the dollar's shrunken buying power”Synonyms: shriveledshrivelled
Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)
Shrink \Shrink\, v. i. [imp. Shrankor Shrunkp. 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]