v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Dwindled p. pr. & vb. n. Dwindling ] [ From OE. dwinen to languish, waste away, AS. dwīnan; akin to LG. dwinen, D. dwijnen to vanish, Icel. dvīna to cease, dwindle, Sw. tvina; of uncertain origin. The suffix -le, preceded by d excrescent after n, is added to the root with a diminutive force. ] To diminish; to become less; to shrink; to waste or consume away; to become degenerate; to fall away. [ 1913 Webster ]

Weary sennights nine times nine
Shall he dwindle, peak and pine. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Religious societies, though begun with excellent intentions,
are said to have dwindled into factious clubs. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To make less; to bring low. [ 1913 Webster ]

Our drooping days are dwindled down to naught. Thomson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To break; to disperse. [ R. ] Clarendon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The process of dwindling; dwindlement; decline; degeneracy. [ R. ] Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act or process of dwindling; a dwindling. [ R. ] Mrs. Oliphant. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. gradually decreasing until little remains.
Syn. -- tapering, tapering off. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. the act or process of becoming gradually less until little remains; as, there is no greater sadness that the dwindling away of a family.
Syn. -- dwindling away. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. i. [ See Dwindle. ] To waste away; to pine; to languish. [ Obs. or Prov. Eng. ] Gower. [ 1913 Webster ]