In knitting and crochet, a series of stitches where each row has fewer stitches than the previous one, creating a tapered shape.
A compound term combining 'diminishing' (from Latin diminuere) with 'turns' (from Old English 'tyrnan'). This is technical jargon that evolved within fiber arts communities in the 20th century.
Knitters invented the term 'diminishing turns' to describe exactly what's happening—each loop is literally making fewer turns—and it's one of those specialized vocabulary words that shows how every craft develops its own precise language!
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