Kutistusta

Kutistusta is a Finnish noun describing the process or result of shrinking, narrowing, or constricting. It is formed from the verb kutistaa, meaning to shrink or contract, and is used across everyday language and technical contexts to refer to reductions in size or diameter of objects, tissues, or spaces. The exact nuance depends on the field, but the core idea is a decrease in dimensions or openness.

In textiles, kutistuminen refers to fabric shrinking after laundering or heat exposure. This phenomenon is common with natural fibers such as cotton or wool, and care instructions often aim to minimize kutistusta through pre-shrinking, heat-setting, or avoiding high temperatures.

In biology and medicine, kutistuminen can describe constriction or contraction of tissue or vessels. For example, verisuonten kutistuminen denotes vasoconstriction, the narrowing of blood vessels, which affects blood flow. The term can also describe the contraction of scar tissue during wound healing, which reduces wound size but can influence tissue mobility.

In materials science and engineering, kutistuminen denotes shrinkage of polymers, composites, or metal parts due to cooling, solvent evaporation, or aging. Shrinkage can affect tolerances and fit in manufactured products, and it is typically accounted for in design, processing, and quality control.

The term is closely related to kutistaa (to shrink/contract) and to supistua, which can refer to narrowing or reduction in a broader sense. While widely used in technical contexts, kutistusta is also employed in everyday language when describing clothes or objects that have become smaller.