Definition of "constrict" [con•strict]

• To make smaller or narrower by binding or squeezing. (verb-transitive)
• To squeeze or compress. (verb-transitive)
• To restrict the scope or freedom of; cramp: lives constricted by poverty. (verb-transitive)
• To become constricted. (verb-intransitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Dehydration causes vessels to constrict, which is a major cause of erectile dysfunction."
• "Related words in English include strict, constrict, and restriction."
• "Thanks for the thesis there Storm – so are saying that the Federal Reserve should raise its rates (and thereby constrict lending even more)?"