shrivel

Etymology

First recorded as shriveled (“shrivelled”), probably of North Germanic origin related to dialectal Swedish skryvla (“to wrinkle, shrivel”); perhaps ultimately related to Proto-Germanic *skrinkwaną (“to shrivel, shrink”) or *skrimpaną (“to shrink”).

verb

  1. (intransitive) To collapse inward; to crumble.
    The plant shrivelled from lack of water.
  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.

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