Dwindle

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈdwɪn.dÉ™l/
• Rhymes: -ɪndÉ™l

Origin

Frequentative form of dwine, from Old English dwīnan ("to waste away"), equivalent to dwine + -le, akin to Old Norse dvena

Dictionary entry of the alternative spelling

/dvína

Webster 1913|dwindle: "akin to ... Icel. dvína to cease"

dwindle in Merriam Webster's dictionary : "akin to Old Norse dvīna to pine away"

(Danish tvine ("to pine away")

The Danish descendant of the ON word in

).

Full definition of dwindle

Verb

1. (intransitive) To decrease, shrink, diminish, reduce in size.
• 1802, Erasmus, , translated by T. Paynell,Every thing that was improving gradually degenerates and dwindles away to nothing, ...
2. (intransitive, figuratively) To fall away in quality; degenerate, sink.The flattery of his friends began to dwindle into simple approbation. (Goldsmith, Vicar, III)
• Jonathan SwiftReligious societies, though begun with excellent intentions, are said to have dwindled into factious clubs.
• 1919, Boris Sidis, The larger the empire, the more dwindles the mind of the citizen.
3. To lessen; to bring low.
• ThomsonOur drooping days are dwindled down to naught.
4. To break; to disperse.