English Explanatory Dictionary

crumble

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To fall apart; to disintegrate.
  2. To break into crumbs.
  3. To mix (ingredients such as flour and butter) in such a way as to form crumbs.
noun
  1. A dessert of British origin containing stewed fruit topped with a crumbly mixture of fat, flour, and sugar.
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

/ˈkɹʌmbəl/ [ˈkɹʌmbɪ̈l] [ˈkɹʌmbl̩] en-us-crumble.ogg /ˈkɹʊmbəl/ /ˈkɾʌmbəl/

Word forms

crumble crumbles crumbling crumbled crimble

Etymology

From earlier crymble, crimble, from Middle English *crymblen, kremelen, from Old English *crymlan (“to crumble”), from *crymel (“a small crumb; crumble”), diminutive of Old English cruma (“crumb”), equivalent to crumb + -le (diminutive suffix). Compare Dutch kruimelen (“to crumble”), German Low German krömmeln (“to crumble”), German Krümel, diminutive of German Krume, German krümeln, krümmeln (“to crumble”). Alteration of vowel due to analogy with crumb.

Synonyms

crisp crunch

Related words

crumb cake

Derived words

crumblable crumblement crumbler crumblesome crumble up crumblingly crumblingness crumbling skull rule that's the way the cookie crumbles fumble

Translations

Italian: sabbiare Zazaki: têvden
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