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Elephant vs Shrink - What's the difference?

elephant | shrink |

As nouns the difference between elephant and shrink

is that elephant is elephant while shrink is shrinkage; contraction; recoil.

As a verb shrink is

to cause to become smaller.

elephant

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A mammal of the order Proboscidea , having a trunk, and two large ivory tusks jutting from the upper jaw.
  • (figuratively) Anything huge and ponderous.
  • (paper, printing) A printing-paper size measuring 30 inches x 22 inches.
  • (British, childish) used when counting to add length, so that each count takes about one second.
  • Let's play hide and seek. I'll count. One elephant''', two '''elephant''', three '''elephant ...
  • (obsolete) ivory
  • (Dryden)

    Synonyms

    * (animal) Elephas maximus'', ''Loxodonta africana * (counting term) see

    Hyponyms

    * (animal) African bush elephant, African forest elephant, Indian elephant, African elephant

    Derived terms

    * African bush elephant * African elephant * African forest elephant * Asian elephant * Asiatic elephant * Borneo elephant, Borneo pygmy elephant * double elephant, double elephant paper * dwarf elephant * elephant apple * elephant bed * elephant beetle * elephant bird, elephantbird * elephant chess * elephant-color, elephant-colour * elephant cord * elephant creeper * elephant ear, elephant ears * elephant fish * elephant flipping * elephant folio * Elephant Gambit * elephant garlic * elephant grass * elephant-gravel * elephant-gray, elephant-grey * elephant gun * * elephant hawk moth * elephanticide * elephantide * elephant in Cairo * elephant in the corner, elephant in the kitchen, elephant in the living room, elephant in the room * (Elephant Island) * elephantitis * elephant joke * elephant juice * elephant leg * (Elephant Man) * elephant man's disease * elephant man's syndrome * elephant on the dinner table * elephant paper * elephant-path * elephant pearl * elephant polo * elephant-rain * elephantry * elephant's breath * elephant seal * elephant's ear, elephant's ears * elephant's foot * elephant's foot umbrella stand * elephant's-grass * elephants' graveyard * elephantship * elephant shrew * elephant's teeth * elephant's trunk, elephant trunk * Elephant's Trunk Nebula * elephant's trunk plant * elephant's trunk snake * elephant's tusk * elephant's-tusks * elephant's-vine * elephant test * elephant trank * elephant tranquilizer, elephant tranquilliser, elephant tranquillizer * Elephant Trap * elephant tree * elephant-trumpet * elephant-trunk fish * Elephant Trunk nebula * elephant-tusk * elephant yam * * forest elephant * get a look at the elephant * imperial elephant * Indian elephant * Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant * Order of the Elephant * pad elephant * pink elephant * pink elephants * pseudelephant * pygmy elephant * retail elephant * rogue elephant * savanna elephant, savannah elephant * sea elephant * see the elephant * show the elephant * Sri Lankan elephant * straight-tusked elephant * Sumatran elephant * temple elephant * war elephant * water elephant * white elephant

    shrink

    English

    Verb

  • To cause to become smaller.
  • The dryer shrank my sweater.
  • To become smaller; to contract.
  • This garment will shrink when wet.
  • * Francis Bacon
  • I have not found that water, by mixture of ashes, will shrink or draw into less room.
  • * Dryden
  • And shrink like parchment in consuming fire.
  • To cower or flinch.
  • Molly shrank away from the blows of the whip.
  • To draw back; to withdraw.
  • * Milton
  • The Libya Hammon shrinks his horn.
  • (figuratively) To withdraw or retire, as from danger.
  • * Alexander Pope
  • What happier natures shrink at with affright, / The hard inhabitant contends is right.
  • * Jowett (Thucyd.)
  • They assisted us against the Thebans when you shrank from the task.

    Synonyms

    * (avoid an unwanted task) funk, shirk

    Antonyms

    * (to cause to become smaller) expand, grow, enlarge, stretch * (become smaller) expand, grow, enlarge, stretch

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • shrinkage; contraction; recoil
  • Yet almost wish, with sudden shrink , / That I had less to praise. — Leigh Hunt.
  • (slang, sometimes, pejorative) A psychiatrist or therapist; a head-shrinker.
  • You need to see a shrink .
    My shrink said that he was an enabler, bad for me.
  • * 1994 , (Green Day),
  • I went to a shrink , to analyze my dreams. He said it's lack of sex that's bringing my down.''

    Usage notes

    * The slang sense was originally pejorative, expressing a distrust of practitioners in the field. It is now not as belittling or trivializing.

    Synonyms

    * head-shrinker