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Dwindle vs Taper - What's the difference?

dwindle | taper | Related terms |

In intransitive terms the difference between dwindle and taper

is that dwindle is to decrease, shrink, diminish, reduce in size while taper is to diminish gradually.

As a noun taper is

a slender wax candle; a small lighted wax candle; hence, a small light.

dwindle

English

Verb

(dwindl)
  • To decrease, shrink, diminish, reduce in size.
  • * 1802 , , translated by T. Paynell,
    • [E]very thing that was improving gradually degenerates and dwindles away to nothing,
  • (figuratively) To fall away in quality; degenerate, sink.
    • The flattery of his friends began to dwindle into simple approbation.'' (''Goldsmith , Vicar, III)
  • * Jonathan Swift
    • Religious societies, though begun with excellent intentions, are said to have dwindled into factious clubs.
  • * 1919 ,
    • The larger the empire, the more dwindles the mind of the citizen.
  • * '>citation
  • To lessen; to bring low.
  • * Thomson
    • Our drooping days are dwindled down to naught.
  • To break; to disperse.
    • (Clarendon)

    References

    taper

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) taper, from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A slender wax candle; a small lighted wax candle; hence, a small light.
  • * ~1603 , William Shakespeare, ''Othello, Act I, scene I, line 157:
    • strike on the tinder, ho!/ Give me a taper .
  • * 1913 ,
    • Love used to carry a bow, you know,
    But now he carries a taper ;
    It is either a length of wax aglow,
    Or a twist of lighted paper.
  • A tapering form; gradual diminution of thickness and/or cross section in an elongated object
    • the taper of a spire.
    The legs of the table had a slight taper to them.
  • A thin stick used for lighting candles, either a wax-coated wick or a slow-burning wooden rod.
    • Derived terms
    * taperwise

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make thinner or narrower at one end.
  • * 1851 ,
    • Though true cylinders without — within, the villanous green goggling glasses deceitfully tapered downwards to a cheating bottom.
  • To diminish gradually.
    • Derived terms
    * taper off
    Synonyms
    * narrow

    Etymology 2

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (weaving) One who operates a tape machine.
  • Someone who works with tape or tapes.

    • Anagrams

    * ----