mangle
mangle Lexical Profile
mangle Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To severely mutilate, disfigure, or damage by cutting, tearing, or crushing.
"The lawnmower accidentally hit a hidden rock and mangled the metal blade beyond repair."
To spoil, ruin, or make a hash of something, such as a text, pronunciation, or musical performance, through incompetence or carelessness.
"The nervous announcer completely mangled the visiting professor's surname during the introduction."
To press or wring wet laundry between heated or heavy rollers.
"The hotel laundry staff mangled the damp tablecloths to give them a crisp, smooth finish."
• noun
A mechanical laundry appliance consisting of two heated or heavy rollers that press and wring water from damp clothing or linens.
"My grandmother used a hand-cranked mangle to press the wet bedsheets before hanging them out to dry."
• Rhymes for mangle
Word Origin & Etymology
The verb meaning 'to mutilate' derives from Anglo-French 'mangler', likely a frequentative form of Old French 'mahaignier' (to maim). The noun and verb referring to the laundry pressing machine come from a separate root: Dutch 'mangel', ultimately from Ancient Greek 'manganon' (axis, pulley, or war engine).