crimp
crimp Lexical Profile
crimp Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To compress, pinch, or press something (such as pastry dough, sheet metal, or an electrical connector) into small folds or ridges in order to seal, join, or shape it.
"The electrician used a specialized hand tool to crimp the copper terminal onto the stripped wire."
North American To have a limiting, restrictive, or adverse effect on something, such as economic growth or spending.
"Rising interest rates and supply chain delays continue to crimp consumer spending across the retail sector."
To style hair into tight, regular waves or zigzags using a heated iron or braiding.
"She decided to crimp her hair for the eighties-themed costume party."
• noun
A small, tight fold, ridge, wave, or pinch pressed into hair, fabric, pastry, or sheet metal.
"The wool fibers had a natural crimp that gave the spun yarn exceptional elasticity."
North American Something that inhibits, restricts, or interferes with normal progress or activity (especially in the phrase 'put a crimp in').
"The sudden downpour put a serious crimp in our plans for an outdoor picnic."
In rock climbing, a very small, thin edge on a rock face or climbing wall that is only wide enough to be gripped with the tips of the fingers.
"She balanced her weight carefully while reaching for a tiny crimp near the top of the bouldering route."
Historically, an agent who tricked, entrapped, or coerced men into serving aboard a ship or in the military.
"Nineteenth-century port authorities frequently warned visiting sailors to beware of unscrupulous tavern crimps."
• Rhymes for crimp
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch krimpen ('to contract, shrivel, or wrinkle'), which shares a West Germanic root with the English word 'cramp'.