縮小
しゅくしょう · shukushou · JLPT N2 · noun
decrease
👕 縮小 = 縮 (shrink) + 小 (small): shrink to small, like a shirt in the wash
小 — three small strokes around a central vertical
小 is a pictograph originally showing three tiny dots or specks, suggesting small particles or grains. Over time the dots became stylized strokes flanking a central line. The core meaning 'small' has stayed remarkably stable from oracle bone script to today.