Library / English Dictionary

SHRINKAGE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of stealing goods that are on display in a store

Example:

shrinkage is the retail trade's euphemism for shoplifting

Synonyms:

shoplifting; shrinkage

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("shrinkage" is a kind of...):

larceny; stealing; theft; thievery; thieving (the act of taking something from someone unlawfully)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The amount by which something shrinks

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("shrinkage" is a kind of...):

decrease; decrement (the amount by which something decreases)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Process or result of becoming less or smaller

Example:

the material lost 2 inches per yard in shrinkage

Synonyms:

shrinkage; shrinking

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("shrinkage" is a kind of...):

decrease; drop-off; lessening (a change downward)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "shrinkage"):

compression; condensation; contraction (the process or result of becoming smaller or pressed together)

Derivation:

shrink (become smaller or draw together)

shrink (reduce in size; reduce physically)

Credits