different between shrinkage vs contractility

English

Etymology

shrink +? -age

Pronunciation

Noun

shrinkage (countable and uncountable, plural shrinkages)

1. The act of shrinking, or the proportion by which something shrinks.
2. The loss of merchandise through theft, spoilage, and obsolescence.
3. (slang) The reduction in size of the male genitalia when cold, such as from immersion in cold water.
   • 1994 Peter Mehlman & Carol Leifer, "The Hamptons," Seinfeld, Season 5, Episode 20 (aired May 12, 1994), Spoken by Jerry Seinfeld (Jerry Seinfeld)

     Do women know about shrinkage?

   • 2006 Steve Gerali, Teenage Guys: Exploring Issues Adolescent Guys Face and Strategies to Help Them, Zondervan, p63

     This is why guys experience "shrinkage" after they've been swimming.

   • 2008 Anthony William Brownless, Billy's Book for Blokes, Allen & Unwin

     That'll get their blood flowing. ... getting the blood flowing coz just the mere thought of jumping into that icy water was starting to get the shrinkage going.

   • 2010 Fran Capo, Art Zuckerman & Susan Zuckerman, "Polar Bear Clubs," It Happened in New York City: Remarkable Events That Shaped History, Globe Pequot, p51

     And of course, one of the most important questions of all, especially among male plungers, is, "What about shrinkage?!"

Anagrams

• kashering, reshaking

English

Noun

contractility (countable and uncountable, plural contractilities)

1. The condition of being able to contract or shrink (used especially of muscles).
2. The extent to which something contracts or shrinks.
3. (physiology) The performance of cardiac muscle. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Derived terms

Related terms

• contractile