shrinkage

Everyday

1. The amount by which something gets smaller. tree →
2. The process of getting smaller. tree →
3. (business) Goods lost from a shop through theft, damage or mistakes. tree →

In the lessons

In science and everyday life, clothes and wood can shrink; shrinkage is how much smaller they get. In maths, shrinkage is a decrease, often given as a percentage: 5% shrinkage on a 100 cm cloth leaves 95 cm. Phrases: allow for shrinkage, percentage shrinkage.

Examples

• Wash it in cold water to avoid shrinkage. tree →
• The shrinkage of the jumper was 3 centimetres. tree →
• Buy a bigger size to allow for shrinkage. tree →
• Wood shows shrinkage as it dries. tree →
• Shops lose money through shrinkage. tree →
• If 10% shrinkage happens to 50 cm, it becomes 45 cm. tree →

Note

From shrink (shrink, shrank, shrunk). In maths, shrinkage is a decrease: new size = old size − shrinkage.