dwindle

== English == === Etymology === Frequentative form of dwine, from Middle English dwynen, from Old English dwīnan (“to waste away”), from Proto-West Germanic *dwīnan, from Proto-Germanic *dwīnaną. It is equivalent to dwine +‎ -le, akin to Old Norse dvena, dvína, Dutch verdwijnen (“to disappear, dwindle”). === Pronunciation === (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˈdwɪn.dəl/ Rhymes: -ɪndəl === Verb === dwindle (third-person singular simple present dwindles, present participle dwindling, simple past and past participle dwindled) (intransitive) To decrease, shrink, diminish, reduce in size or intensity. Synonyms: fade away, peter out, (figuratively) spin down, trail off, wane, wanse 1802, T. Paynell (translator), Erasmus, The Complaint of Peace [E]very thing that was improving gradually degenerates and dwindles away to nothing, […] (intransitive, figuratively) To fall away in quality; degenerate, sink. (transitive) To lessen; to bring low. To break up or disperse. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === References === === Anagrams === windled