shriv ‧ el /ˈʃrɪv ə l/ BrE AmE ( also shrivel up ) verb ( past tense and past participle shrivelled , present participle shrivelling British English , shriveled , shriveling American English ) [intransitive and transitive]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: Perhaps from a Scandinavian language ]
if something shrivels, or if it is shrivelled, it becomes smaller and its surface becomes covered in lines because it is very dry or old:
The leaves change colour, then shrivel.
—shrivelled British English
—shriveled American English adjective :
a shrivelled apple