Link Centre Dictionary

crimp

UK/kɹɪmp/ US/ˈkrɪmp/ rare obsolete
noun (3) verb (2)

noun

1.

an angular or rounded shape made by folding

  • “a fold in the napkin”
  • “a crease in his trousers”
  • “a plication on her blouse”
  • “a flexure of the colon”
  • “a bend of his elbow”
Synonyms
2.

someone who tricks or coerces men into service as sailors or soldiers

Synonyms
3.

a lock of hair that has been artificially waved or curled

verb

1.

make ridges into by pinching together

Synonyms
2.

curl tightly

  • “crimp hair”
Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English crimpen (“to be contracted, be drawn together”), from Middle Dutch crimpen, crempen (“to crimp”), from Proto-Germanic *krimpaną (“to shrink, draw back”) (compare related Old English ġecrympan (“to curl”)). Cognate with Dutch krimpen, German Low German krimpen, Faroese kreppa (“crisis”), and Icelandic kreppa (“to bend tightly, clench”). Compare also derivative Middle English crymplen (“to wrinkle”) and causative crempen (“to turn something back, restrain”, literally “to cause to shrink or draw back”), both ultimately derived from the same root. See also cramp.

Phrases

  • boot crimp
  • crimping house
  • crimping pin
  • crimping pliers
  • crimping tool
  • put a crimp in

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.