Constrict
/kənˈstrɪkt/noun
To draw together, tighten, or squeeze something into a smaller space.
Did you know?Constrict shares its ancient root with words built around the idea of being “drawn together,” a physical image that later powered legal, scientific, and emotional language.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*streig-
“To draw tight, bind, or tighten”
Latin
Latin
stringere
“To draw tight, bind, compress, or make tense”
Latin
Latin
constringere
“To bind together, compress tightly”
Late Latin
Latin
constrictus
“Bound tightly, compressed”
14th Century
English
constricten
“To bind or draw together tightly”
Modern English
English
constrict
“To squeeze or tighten around something”