Crumble
/ˈkrʌm.bəl/noun
To break or fall apart into small pieces.
Did you know?Crumble is related to crumb, and both trace back to a Germanic root meaning a piece broken off or a fragment, which is why the word feels so physically tiny and destructive at once.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*krumbaz
“Bent, crooked, or broken into a fragment”
Old English
OE
crympan
“To curl, compress, or make crooked”
Middle English
ME
crumlen
“To break into crumbs or small pieces”
16th Century
English
crumble
“To fall apart, especially into small fragments”
Modern English
English
crumble
“To break or fall apart into small pieces”