Adjacent Words

Constrict definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CONSTRICT, v.t. [L. See Constrain.] To draw together; to bind; to cramp; to draw into a narrow compass; hence, to contract or cause to shrink.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: squeeze or press together; "she compressed her lips"; "the spasm contracted the muscle" [syn: compress, constrict, squeeze, compact, contract, press]
2: become tight or as if tight; "Her throat constricted" [syn: constrict, constringe, narrow]

Merriam Webster's

verb Etymology: Latin constrictus, past participle of constringere Date: 1732 transitive verb 1. a. to make narrow or draw together b. compress, squeeze <constrict a nerve> 2. to stultify, stop, or cause to falter ; inhibit intransitive verb to become constricted Synonyms: see contract • constrictive adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 make narrow or tight; compress. 2 Biol. cause (organic tissue) to contract. Derivatives: constriction n. constrictive adj. Etymology: L (as constrain)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Constrict Con*strict", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Constricted; p. pr. & vb. n. Constricting.] [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. --Arbuthnot. Membranous organs inclosing a cavity which their contraction serves to constrict. --Todd & Bowman.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(constricts, constricting, constricted) 1. If a part of your body, especially your throat, is constricted or if it constricts, something causes it to become narrower. Severe migraine can be treated with a drug which constricts the blood vessels... My throat constricted, so that I had to concentrate on breathing. VERB: V n, V 2. If something constricts you, it limits your actions so that you cannot do what you want to do. She objects to the tests the Government's advisers have devised because they constrict her teaching style... = limit VERB: V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. Cramp, contract, compress.

Moby Thesaurus

abbreviate, bang, bar, barricade, batten, batten down, block, block up, blockade, bolt, button, button up, chock, choke, choke off, circumscribe, clap, close, close off, close tight, close up, coarct, compact, compress, concentrate, condense, confine, consolidate, constrain, constringe, contain, contract, cover, cramp, crowd, curb, curtail, debar, decrease, diminish, dog, draw, draw in, draw together, fasten, fold, fold up, gather, go in, jam, key, knit, latch, limit, lock, lock out, lock up, narrow, obstruct, occlude, pack, padlock, plait, plumb, pucker, pucker up, purse, reduce, restrain, restrict, seal, seal off, seal up, secure, shorten, shrink, shut, shut off, shut out, shut the door, shut tight, shut up, slam, snap, snape, solidify, squeeze, squeeze shut, stifle, stop up, straiten, strangle, strangulate, suffocate, taper, wrinkle, zip up, zipper