Crimp
/krɪmp/noun
To make something short, tight, or wavy by pressing, folding, or curling it.
Did you know?Crimp is probably from a Germanic root meaning 'to bend, curve, or make crooked,' which is why it shows up in words for wrinkles, curls, and even the old sense of a person who kidnaps or ensnares others.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*krump-
“to bend, curve, or make crooked”
Old English
English
crympan
“to curl, bend, or fold”
Middle English
English
crimpen
“to press, contract, or curl”
16th Century
English
crimp
“to curl or make wavy; later, to press or squeeze together”
Modern English
English
crimp
“to indent, curl, or tighten something by pressing it into shape”