# shrivel back



## Tood

I have a question here: Is there a portuguese word for the action of shriveling back?  Like, for instance, suppose there is a viper trying to eat a very large worm.  Then, out of nowhere four men approach the viper rapidly and quite clumslily.  The viper--not out of fear--but out of trying to get ready to attack, if need be, recoils and repositions itself in a shriveling type of motion.


----------



## Vanda

The first word that I can remember is retrair.
retrair - Puxar a si; recolher, retirar /   Encolher, contrair: /   Fazer voltar para trás; retirar, recuar.

And above, in the dictionary definition, you'll find: recuar, retirar,...


----------



## birdface

_*Retroceder*_, maybe.  Although, I think that _*retroceder*_ might actually mean _*to shrink back out of fear*_.  So, that's the best I can do.  

PS    Do snakes even eat worms?  That raises other issues.


----------



## mnajan

I do believe that the expression that you're looking for is:
"Armar o bote."

"A cobra armou o bote, para atacar se necessário."


----------



## Vanda

Mnajan, acho que não.  Veja a descrição que ele deu:


> The viper--not out of fear--but out of trying to get ready to attack, if need be, recoils and repositions itself in a shriveling type of motion.



shrivel - franzir; encolher; murchar; enrugar; encarquilhar

De qualquer modo, Tood definiu os dois processos, né? Quando ele diz:
_but out of trying to get ready to attack.... _
Anyway, vamos aguardar o que ele tem a dizer.


----------



## Outsider

Tood said:


> The viper--not out of fear--but out of trying to get ready to attack, if need be, recoils and repositions itself in a shriveling type of motion.


_Recuar_, _recolher(-se)_, _retrair-se_, or something similar.


----------



## birdface

I don't know.  I looked up _*retroceder*_.  It might not just have to do with recoiling in fear.  Could just be a _*recoling, or moving back, do to a negative response*_.  I don't know though.  I have only been speaking Port for 2 years now.


----------



## Dona Chicória

I think that none of the verbs already mentioned convey the idea of fear.
But I think that "bater em retirada" does.
It can be used both for people, groups , army and for animals, etc. 

Dicionário Houaiss

Rubrica: termo militar. 
bater em retirada. 
*1* retirar-se de um combate 
Obs.: ver gram, a seguir 
Ex.: o general ordenou que a tropa batesse em retirada


But in the context  "recolher-se", ou "encolher-se" would be good.


----------



## Tood

Again, on this one.  I will take to heart all of your responses.  This will help me a lot.


----------



## Macunaíma

*Recuar* (more like "draw back") is the best option in my opinion, but *armar o bote* also makes sense (_"...out of trying to get ready to attack, if need be"_). *Retroceder *doesn't describe motions, it's almost always used in a figurative sense as the opposite of _progredir_, _avançar_. *Bater em retirada* literally means _to retreat_ and I don't see how it fits in that context.


----------



## Outsider

Thanks, Macunaíma, though to be honest my favorites so far were the ones Dona Chicória suggested, _encolher-se_ and _recolher-se_.
Well, _recuar_ can work well too, depending on the rest of the sentence.


----------



## arbilab

The English expression is _coil_ and in context is specific to snakes preparing to strike.


----------



## Fluteroo

arbilab said:


> The English expression is _coil_ and in context is specific to snakes preparing to strike.



And we know that a fresh grape will shrivel into a raisin overtime.       Entāo a cobra voltou *enroscar*-se pronta para atacar.                     A shriveled snake= uma cobra seca como bruaca velha.


----------



## arbilab

The lookup doesn't register *enroscar.*

Along the lines of grapes however, I can tell you this.  A spry 42yo _shrivels_ in the mirror over 20 years.  I've had 3 mirror repairmen come, and they say they can't fix it.


----------



## Fluteroo

arbilab said:


> The lookup doesn't register *enroscar.*
> 
> Along the lines of grapes however, I can tell you this.  A spry 42yo _shrivels_ in the mirror over 20 years.  I've had 3 mirror repairmen come, and they say they can't fix it.


 *enroscar * *vt *
 (torcer)  *to twist, wind (round) **enroscar-se * *vr                                           **to coil up This is from Collin's                                                                        *Mate, I'll be 60 in a few months and would like to think Tood  is right when saying things shrivel up to get ready to attack again.


----------



## arbilab

Cheers, Fluteroo.  Age transcends language if you live long enough.  _Enroscar_ nails it.  Could have saved us a dozen-some frames if we'd caught that initially.


----------



## lindenkreig

I here you there.  I feel shriveled myself.  Hey guys, what about "meter para dentro"???   You guys think that'll work???


----------



## Glazzy

I came up with repúdio.  I don't know if it is right.  Just tring to help.

I couldn't find anything for that meter para dentro phrase.  But, oh well, who knows if it exists.


----------



## birdface

ENG-->We are not the sort that shrink back to destruction

Port-->Nós não somos dos que retrocedem para a destruição
 
 
Talvéz isso ajuda só um pouco.  Sei que já mencionei isso, mas é bom ver no contexto, também.


----------



## Tood

Oh my!! Looks like I started a fire.  Thank you for all your help.  I feel deeply privelaged to have met all of you.  There's a warmth that kindles deep within my heart.  I feel loved.  Thank you.  Thank you very much.


----------



## arbilab

I find the community here most attractive too, Tood.  A refreshing exception to most internet boards.

Review _Enroscar._  It appears that Portuguese has a more-specific verb for this than English does.  'Coil' in English is primarily a noun.  (I may be biased, being an electronic engineer.)


----------



## lindenkreig

Yes, coil would be a noun.  But, recoil is a verb.  It is very commun for something to recoil.


----------



## arbilab

_Coil_ is also a verb, though applications are relatively few and they all relate to _enroscar_, to wind.  The sailor _coiled_ the rope on the deck.  The vine _coiled_ around the tree.

'Shrivel' was a bit of a rooster (misleading).  The only snake that _shrivels_ is a dead one.  An animal could be said to _shrink back_, but this (fairly strongly) implies fear or defense rather than a prelude to attack.

I'm having trouble thinking of another animal that _coils_.  I'm not a herpetologist, but I believe only certain snakes (rattlesnake, others?) _coil_ before striking.  The pre-strike body position varies among species.  Example: cobra.


----------

