Adjacent Words

Shrunk definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SHRUNK, pret. and pp. of shrink.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

(also shrunken) past part. of SHRINK.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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. And on a broken reed he still did stay His feeble steps, which shrunk when hard thereon he lay. --Spenser. I have not found that water, by mixture of ashes, will shrink or draw into less room. --Bacon. Against this fire do I shrink up. --Shak. And shrink like parchment in consuming fire. --Dryden. All the boards did shrink. --Coleridge. 2. To withdraw or retire, as from danger; to decline action from fear; to recoil, as in fear, horror, or distress. What happier natures shrink at with affright, The hard inhabitant contends is right. --Pope. They assisted us against the Thebans when you shrank from the task. --Jowett (Thucyd.) 3. To express fear, horror, or pain by contracting the body, or part of it; to shudder; to quake. [R.] --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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. And on a broken reed he still did stay His feeble steps, which shrunk when hard thereon he lay. --Spenser. I have not found that water, by mixture of ashes, will shrink or draw into less room. --Bacon. Against this fire do I shrink up. --Shak. And shrink like parchment in consuming fire. --Dryden. All the boards did shrink. --Coleridge. 2. To withdraw or retire, as from danger; to decline action from fear; to recoil, as in fear, horror, or distress. What happier natures shrink at with affright, The hard inhabitant contends is right. --Pope. They assisted us against the Thebans when you shrank from the task. --Jowett (Thucyd.) 3. To express fear, horror, or pain by contracting the body, or part of it; to shudder; to quake. [R.] --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Shrunk is the past participle of shrink.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Shrivelled, withered, dwindled, contracted.