shrink

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• intransitive verb To become or appear to become smaller.
• intransitive verb To become smaller from exposure to heat, moisture, or cold.
• intransitive verb To become reduced in amount or value; dwindle.
• intransitive verb To move back or away, especially in fear.
• intransitive verb To show reluctance; hesitate.
• intransitive verb To cause to shrink.
• noun The act of shrinking.
• noun The degree to which something shrinks; shrinkage.
• noun Slang A psychotherapist.

from The Century Dictionary.

• The act of shrinking; a spontaneous drawing into less compass.
• A contraction.
• A shrug.
• A diminution; a falling away; shrinkage.
• A withdrawing from fear or horror; recoil.
• To contract spontaneously; draw or be drawn into less length, breadth, or compass by an inherent property: as, woolen cloth shrinks in hot water; a flaxen or hempen line shrinks in a humid atmosphere.
• To diminish; reduce.
• To shrivel: become wrinkled by contraction, as the skin.
• To draw back or retire, as from danger; recoil physically, as in fear, horror, or distrust; sometimes, simply, to go aside.
• To decline or hesitate to act, as from fear; recoil morally or mentally, as in fear, horror, distrust, distaste, and the like.
• To express fear, horror, or pain by shrugging or contracting the body; wince; flinch.
• Synonyms See shrivel.
• 4–6. To flinch, blench.
• To cause to contract: as, to shrink flannel by immersing it in boiling water.
• To make smaller; make appear smaller.
• To withdraw: formerly with in.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• intransitive verb To wrinkle, bend, or curl; to shrivel; hence, to contract into a less extent or compass; to gather together; to become compacted.
• intransitive verb To withdraw or retire, as from danger; to decline action from fear; to recoil, as in fear, horror, or distress.
• intransitive verb rare To express fear, horror, or pain by contracting the body, or part of it; to shudder; to quake.
• transitive verb To cause to contract or shrink.
• transitive verb obsolete To draw back; to withdraw.
• transitive verb (Mach.) to fix (one piece or part) firmly around (another) by natural contraction in cooling, as a tire on a wheel, or a hoop upon a cannon, which is made slightly smaller than the part it is to fit, and expanded by heat till it can be slipped into place.
• noun The act shrinking; shrinkage; contraction; also, recoil; withdrawal.
• noun Coll. a psychiatrist.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• verb ergative To contract, to (cause to) become smaller.
• verb intransitive To cower or flinch.
• verb intransitive, figuratively To attempt to avoid an unwanted or intimidating duty; as, to shrink from a task.
• noun shrinkage; contraction; recoil
• noun slang, sometimes pejorative A psychiatrist or therapist; a head-shrinker.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• verb draw back, as with fear or pain
• verb become smaller or draw together
• verb reduce in size; reduce physically
• verb decrease in size, range, or extent
• noun a physician who specializes in psychiatry
• verb wither, as with a loss of moisture