Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “shrink” come from?

Shrink comes from Middle English shrinken, from Old English sċrincan, from Proto-Germanic skrinkwaną, from Proto-Indo-European sker-.

shrink (English): To cause to become smaller; To become smaller; to...

Definitions

  1. To cause to become smaller; To become smaller; to...

Ancestry of “shrink”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishschrynken—
2Old Englishsċrincanto shrivel up
3Proto-Germanicskrinkwanąto shrink, pull together, shrivel
4Proto-Indo-Europeansker-to jump; to turn, to bend; to turn, bend

Words derived from “shrink”

  • shrinking
  • shrinkage
  • unshrinking
  • shrinkingly
  • shrinkwrap
  • unshrinkingly
  • shrinkable
  • shrinker
  • unshrinkable
  • shrinkest
  • preshrink
  • shrinketh
  • headshrinker
  • nonshrink
  • shrinky
  • nonshrinkable
  • unshrink
  • nonshrinking
  • antishrinkage
  • shrinkproof
  • antishrink
  • reshrink
  • shrink away
  • antishrinking
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sker- →