■ verb make or become narrower, especially by encircling pressure.
↘(of a snake) coil round (prey) in order to asphyxiate it.
Derivatives
~ion noun
~ive adjective
Origin
C18 (earlier (ME) as ~ion ): from L. ~- , constringere (see constrain ).
■ verb make or become narrower, especially by encircling pressure.
↘(of a snake) coil round (prey) in order to asphyxiate it.
Derivatives
~ion noun
~ive adjective
Origin
C18 (earlier (ME) as ~ion ): from L. ~- , constringere (see constrain ).
Concise Oxford English vocab. Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка. 2004