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# shrivel

«shrivel» in Mova's school dictionary: **To become smaller, dry and wrinkled, often because of…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

verb (shrivel, shrivels, shrivelled (UK) / shriveled (US), shrivelling (UK) / shriveling (US))

### meaning for a pupil

1) To become smaller, dry and wrinkled, often because of heat, cold or lack of water. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shrivel/#m1)

2) To make something do this. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shrivel/#m2)

3) (figurative) To feel very small or ashamed: "I shrivelled with embarrassment." [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shrivel/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In science lessons, plants shrivel without water, and grapes shrivel into raisins when dried. In cooking, things shrivel in a hot pan. In stories, a character might shrivel under a fierce look. Phrases: shrivel up, shrivelled leaves, shrivel in the heat.

### examples

- The flowers shrivelled in the heat. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shrivel/#x1)
- Grapes shrivel into raisins when they dry. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shrivel/#x2)
- My fingers shrivel in the bath. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shrivel/#x3)
- The leaves shrivelled up and fell off. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shrivel/#x4)
- The slug shrivelled when salt touched it. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shrivel/#x5)
- I shrivelled with embarrassment when I fell over on stage. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shrivel/#x6)
- Till thy skin shrivels up and thou art a skeleton! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shrivel/#x7)

### note

UK spelling doubles the l (shrivelled, shrivelling); US uses one l (shriveled). Adjective: shrivelled. Fingers wrinkle in water because of nerves controlling blood vessels, not just water soaking in.

### In the corpora

- [The grains shrivel under their hoes; the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/jps/JOL.17/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «shrivel» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shrivel/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.
