# shrivel

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈʃɹɪvəl/ · frequency rank #60,470

## Definitions
1. To collapse inward; to crumble.
2. To become wrinkled.
3. To draw into wrinkles.

## 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”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/shrivel