SHRINKING

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does shrinking mean? 

• SHRINKING (noun)
  The noun SHRINKING has 2 senses:

1. process or result of becoming less or smaller

2. the act of becoming less

  Familiarity information: SHRINKING used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SHRINKING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Process or result of becoming less or smaller

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

shrinkage; shrinking

Context example:

the material lost 2 inches per yard in shrinkage

Hypernyms ("shrinking" is a kind of...):

decrease; drop-off; lessening (a change downward)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "shrinking"):

compression; condensation; contraction (the process or result of becoming smaller or pressed together)

Derivation:

shrink (reduce in size; reduce physically)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The act of becoming less

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("shrinking" is a kind of...):

decrease; diminution; reduction; step-down (the act of decreasing or reducing something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "shrinking"):

miniaturisation; miniaturization (act of making on a greatly reduced scale)

Derivation:

shrink (decrease in size, range, or extent)

 Context examples 

It’s small, it’s hot, and it’s shrinking.

(The Incredible Shrinking Mercury is Active After All, NASA)

It was fear—a deep, secret, shrinking fear.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A weakening, shrinking, and loss of muscle caused by disease or lack of use.

(Muscle Atrophy, NCI Dictionary)

“Not I, most worthy sir,” cried the carrier, shrinking away from the fierce eyes of the bowman.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

In fact, the ice sheet has a long history of expanding and shrinking — a finding that indicates the ice sheet may contribute substantially to global sea-level rise as Earth's climate warms.

(Massive East Antarctic Ice Sheet has history of instability, National Science Foundatio)

"It sounded as if you were praying," she said bravely, but she felt herself inside to be withering and shrinking.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

The chief cause is the long-term contraction of the Yakutat Ice Field, which has been shrinking since the height of the Little Ice Age.

(Retreat of Yakutat Glacier, NASA)

This latest storm was first seen in 2015, but is now shrinking.

(Hubble Sees Neptune's Mysterious Shrinking Storm, NASA)

In modern times, the Great Red Spot has appeared to be shrinking.

(NASA’s Juno Spacecraft Spots Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory)

Stabilizers also slow down melting, prevent wheying off (the leaking of a clear watery serum), help avoid shrinking during storage and increase your mouth's perception of creaminess.

(Freeze-Dried Strawberries and Ice Cream Make for a Very Stable Relationship, Agricultural Research Service)