(past shrank; past participle shrunk 或［尤作形容词］ shrunken /ˈʃrʌŋkən/)
1
- become or make smaller in size or amount; contract or cause to contract变小; 减少; 收缩; 使收缩：
no obj. the workforce has shrunk to less than a thousand劳动力减少到不足1,000人
with obj. the summer sun had shrunk and dried the wood.夏天的阳光使木头收缩、晒干。
1.1
- no obj.(of clothes or material) become smaller as a result of being immersed in water（衣服, 布料）缩水。
1.2
- as adj. shrunken(especially of a person's face or other part of the body) withered, wrinkled, or shrivelled through old age or illness（尤指人的脸部或其他身体部位因衰老或疾病而）萎缩的; 起皱纹的; 皱缩的：
a tiny shrunken face and enormous eyes.
一张起皱纹的小脸和一双大大的眼睛。
1.3
- no obj.
shrink into oneself
become withdrawn缩作一团; 变得沉默寡言。
1.4
- with obj.
shrink something on
slip a metal tyre or other fitting on to (something) while it is expanded with heat and allow it to tighten in place乘热膨胀时把…套上。
2
- no obj., with adverbial of direction move back or away, especially because of fear or disgust（尤指因害怕或讨厌而）回避; 离开：
she shrank away from him, covering her face
她遮住脸回避他
he shrank back against the wall.
他向后退缩靠到了墙上。
2.1
- often with negative
shrink from
be averse to or unwilling to do (something difficult or unappealing)不愿做（困难或无吸引力的事）： I don't shrink from my responsibilities.
我不逃避责任。
- informal a psychiatrist〈非正式〉精神病医生; 精神病学家：
you should see a shrink.
你应该去看精神病医生。
ORIGIN: from headshrinker.
派生词
shrinkable
adjectiveshrinker
nounshrinkingly
adverb词源
Old English scrincan, of Germanic origin; related to Swedish skrynka 'to wrinkle'.