scrimp

Etymology

Probably from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German schrimpen (“to shrivel up, wrinkle”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *skrimpaną (“to shrink”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut off”), related to Old English sċrimman (“to shrink”) and sċrincan (“to shrivel up”). Related to shrink, shrimp.

noun

1. A pinching miser; a niggard.

verb

1. (transitive) To make too small or short.
   To scrimp the pattern of a coat.
2. (transitive) To limit or straiten; to put on short allowance.
3. (intransitive) To be frugal.
   They had to scrimp each month to afford it out of pocket. 2020, Brit Bennett, The Vanishing Half, Dialogue Books, page 334

adj

1. Short; scanty; curtailed.