TOP

Definition of shrivel verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

shrivel

verb
 
/ˈʃrɪvl/
 
/ˈʃrɪvl/
[intransitive, transitive]
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they shrivel
 
/ˈʃrɪvl/
 
/ˈʃrɪvl/
he / she / it shrivels
 
/ˈʃrɪvlz/
 
/ˈʃrɪvlz/
past simple shrivelled
 
/ˈʃrɪvld/
 
/ˈʃrɪvld/
past participle shrivelled
 
/ˈʃrɪvld/
 
/ˈʃrɪvld/
(US English) past simple shriveled
 
/ˈʃrɪvld/
 
/ˈʃrɪvld/
(US English) past participle shriveled
 
/ˈʃrɪvld/
 
/ˈʃrɪvld/
-ing form shrivelling
 
/ˈʃrɪvlɪŋ/
 
/ˈʃrɪvlɪŋ/
(US English) -ing form shriveling
 
/ˈʃrɪvlɪŋ/
 
/ˈʃrɪvlɪŋ/
jump to other results
  1. to become or make something dry and wrinkled as a result of heat, cold or being old
    • shrivel (up) The leaves on the plant had shrivelled up from lack of water.
    • shrivel something (up) The hot weather had shrivelled the grapes in every vineyard.
    Word Originmid 16th cent.: perhaps of Scandinavian origin; compare with Swedish dialect skryvla ‘to wrinkle’.
See shrivel in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
trait
noun
 
 
From the Word list
Oxford 5000
B2
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day