I. shrink 1 /ʃrɪŋk/ BrE AmE verb ( past tense shrank /ʃræŋk/, past participle shrunk /ʃrʌŋk/)
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: scrincan ]
1 . [intransitive and transitive] to become smaller, or to make something smaller, through the effects of heat or water:
I’m worried about washing that shirt in case it shrinks.
⇨ ↑ pre-shrunk , ↑ shrunken
2 . [intransitive and transitive] to become or to make something smaller in amount, size, or value OPP grow :
The city continued to shrink.
shrink to
The firm’s staff had shrunk to only four people.
Treatment can shrink a tumour.
We want to expand the business, not shrink it.
3 . [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to move back and away from something, especially because you are frightened:
She listened, shrinking under the blankets, to their shouts.
Meredith was scared of him and shrank back.
His anger was enough to make the others shrink away from him.
shrink from something phrasal verb
to avoid doing something difficult or unpleasant:
The leadership too often shrinks from hard decisions.
shrink from doing something
We will not shrink from making the necessary changes in policy.
II. shrink 2 BrE AmE noun [countable] informal
[ Date: 1900-2000 ; Origin: head-shrinker 'psychiatrist' (1900-2000) ]
a ↑ psychoanalyst or ↑ psychiatrist – used humorously
• • •
THESAURUS
■ a doctor who treats mental illness
▪ psychiatrist /saɪˈkaɪətrəst, saɪˈkaɪətrɪst $ sə-/ a doctor who is trained to treat people with mental illnesses:
In order to become a psychiatrist, you first need a medical degree.
▪ psychologist /saɪˈkɒlədʒəst, saɪˈkɒlədʒɪst $ -ˈkɑː-/ a scientist who studies and is trained in ↑ psychology (=the study of the mind) :
Many psychologists believe that aggression is a learned behaviour.
▪ shrink informal a humorous word for a ↑ psychiatrist
▪ therapist a trained person whose job is to help people with their emotional problems, especially by talking to them and asking them to talk about their feelings