Shrinkage is the shrinking itself, or how much something has got smaller. Cotton can show shrinkage after a hot wash: the jumper that fitted now sits higher on the arms.

Shrinkageshrinkage(縮水) is the shrinking itself指的是縮小這件事本身, or how much something has got smaller或者是某樣東西縮小的程度。Cotton棉質衣物 can show shrinkage after a hot wash用熱水洗過之後可能會出現shrinkage: the jumper that fitted原本合身的毛衣 now sits higher on the arms現在袖子變得比較短。

Wood, cloth, and plastic all do this when they dry or cool, and factories measure the shrinkage so lids still fit. The ending turns the verb shrink into a noun for the action or the amount.

Wood, cloth, and plastic木頭、布料和塑膠 all do this when they dry or cool在乾燥或冷卻時都會這樣, and factories measure the shrinkage so lids still fit工廠會測量shrinkage，好讓蓋子還能蓋得起來。The ending這個字尾 turns the verb shrink into a noun for the action or the amount把動詞shrink變成名詞，指這個動作或這個程度。

Though actually, in shops the same word has a quieter second life. Store managers say shrinkage for stock that disappears — stolen, broken, or just not there when they count. They are not talking about the boxes getting smaller; they are talking about loss, and it is a soft workplace word for a hard problem.

Though actually不過其實, in shops在商店裡 the same word has a quieter second life同一個字還有另一種比較不張揚的用法。Store managers店經理 say shrinkage for stock that disappears會用shrinkage來指消失的存貨 — stolen, broken, or just not there when they count不管是被偷、損壞，還是盤點時就是找不到。They are not talking about the boxes getting smaller他們講的不是箱子變小; they are talking about loss而是在講損失, and it is a soft workplace word for a hard problem這是職場上用來講一個棘手問題的委婉說法。

In money news you may also hear that an economy shows shrinkage, meaning the whole thing is getting smaller. The core picture is still the same: something has reduced.

In money news在財經新聞裡 you may also hear that an economy shows shrinkage你也可能聽到說一個經濟體出現shrinkage, meaning the whole thing is getting smaller意思是整體正在萎縮。The core picture is still the same核心的畫面還是一樣的: something has reduced就是某樣東西變小了。