shrink ray
- noun
- /ʃrɪŋk reɪ/
- I'd like to see this shrink ray.
Examples
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An old man got hit with a shrink ray but his but his clothing stayed the same.
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I got the shrink ray.
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Oh, I got the shrink ray, all right.
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Do you know where the shrink ray is?
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Get the shrink ray, then we'll talk.
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Now, we have located a shrink ray in a secret lab.
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The larger the mass of an object, the quicker the effects of the shrink ray wear off.
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Why, And our mind boggles, are the amazing things we could do in real life if such a device as a shrink ray existed.
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And once we take this shrink ray, we will have the capability... to pull off the true crime of the century.
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The scientist proudly showed off her new invention, a shrink ray that could reduce objects to miniature size.
Synonyms
A tool or person that makes things smaller in size
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from 'shrink' (to become smaller) + 'ray' (a beam of light): a beam that causes shrinking. This noun–noun composition follows regular English compounding patterns and is conceptually transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the device's purpose even if the item is fictional.
Etymology
Shrink ray comes from old science fiction and cartoons where a bright beam called a ray hits a person or object and the shrink part shows it becomes much smaller. So, shrink ray means a fictional device 'to make things much smaller'.