Old English scrincan "to draw in the limbs, contract, shrivel up; wither, pine away" (class III strong verb; past tense scranc, past participle scruncen), from Proto-Germanic *skrink- (cognates: Middle Dutch schrinken), probably from PIE root *(s)ker- (3) "to turn, bend" (see ring (n.1)).
Originally with causal shrench (compare drink/drench). Sense of "become reduced in size" recorded from late 13c. The meaning "draw back, recoil" (early 14c.) perhaps was suggested by the behavior of snails. Transitive sense, "cause to shrink" is from late 14c. Shrink-wrap is attested from 1961 (shrinking-wrap from 1959). Shrinking violet "shy person" attested from 1882.
shrink (n.)
"an act of shrinking," 1580s, from shrink (v.). Slang meaning "psychiatrist," (1966) is from head-shrinker.
实用例句
1. Alistair saw Henry shrink, as if the words had touched a nerve.
阿利斯泰尔看到亨利向后缩了一下，好像那些话触到了他的痛处。
来自柯林斯例句
2. There was a general acceptance that the defence budget would shrink.
