Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Shrivel

Shriv′el

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Shriveled
or
Shrivelled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Shriveling
or
Shrivelling
.]
[Probably akin to
shrimp
,
shrink
; cf. dial. AS.
screpa
to pine away, Norw.
skrypa
to waste,
skryp
,
skryv
, transitory, frail, Sw.
skröpling
feeble, Dan.
skröbelig
, Icel.
skrj[GREEK]pr
brittle, frail.]
To draw, or be drawn, into wrinkles; to shrink, and form corrugations;
as, a leaf
shriveles
in the hot sun; the skin
shrivels
with age
; – often with up.

Shriv′el

,
Verb.
T.
To cause to shrivel or contract; to cause to shrink onto corruptions.

Webster 1828 Edition


Shrivel

SHRIVEL

,
Verb.
I.
shriv'l. [from the root of rivel.] To comtract; to draw or be drawn into wrinkles; to shrink and form corrugations; as, a leaf shrivels in the hot sun; the skin shrivels with age.

Definition 2024


shrivel

shrivel

English

Verb

shrivel (third-person singular simple present shrivels, present participle (UK) shrivelling or (US) shriveling, simple past and past participle (UK) shrivelled or (US) shriveled)

  1. (intransitive) To collapse inward; to crumble.
    I saw him shrivel on the ground in fear.
  2. (intransitive) To become wrinkled.
    His fingers were shriveled from being in the bath for too long.
  3. (transitive) To draw into wrinkles.
    The hot sun shrivelled the leaves.

Derived terms

Translations