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C — Constellation to Constringe (Part 6 of 6)

1. The act of constricting by means of some inherent power or by movement or change in the thing itself, as distinguished from compression.

2. The state of being constricted; the point where a thing is constricted; a narrowing or binding.

A constriction of the parts inservient to speech.
Grew.

Constrictive
(Con*strict"ive) a. Serving or tending to bind or constrict.

Constrictor
(Con*strict"or) n.

1. That which constricts, draws together, or contracts.

2. (Anat.) A muscle which contracts or closes an orifice, or which compresses an organ; a sphincter.

3. (Zoöl.) A serpent that kills its prey by inclosing and crushing it with its folds; as, the boa constrictor.

Constringe
(Con*stringe") v. t. [imp. & p. p. Constringed ; p. pr. & vb. n. Constringing.] [L. constringere. See onstrain.] To dawn together; to contract; to force to contract itself; to constrict; to cause to shrink. [R.]

Strong liquors . . . intoxicate, constringe, harden the fibers, and coagulate the fluids.
Arbuthnot.