dwindle Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb become smaller or lose substance
    dwindle away; dwindle down.
    • Her savings dwindled down

WordNet

Dwin"dle intransitive verb
Etymology
From OE. dwinen to languish, waste away, AS. dwinan; akin to LG. dwinen, D. dwijnen to vanish, Icel. dvina to cease, dwindle, Sw. tvina; of uncertain origin. The suffix -le, preceded by d excrescent after n, is added to the root with a diminutive force.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Dwindled ; present participle & verbal noun Dwindling
Definitions
  1. To diminish; to become less; to shrink; to waste or consume away; to become degenerate; to fall away.
    Weary sennights nine times nine Shall he dwindle, peak and pine. Shak.
    Religious societies, though begun with excellent intentions, are said to have dwindled into factious clubs. Swift.
Dwin"dle transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To make less; to bring low.
    Our drooping days are dwindled down to naught. Thomson.
  2. To break; to disperse. R. Clarendon.
Dwin"dle noun
Definitions
  1. The process of dwindling; dwindlement; decline; degeneracy. R. Johnson.

Webster 1913