To cause something, typically fabric or paper, to become crinkled, crumpled, or wrinkled. This action results in an uneven and distorted surface, often due to compression, moisture, or improper handling. The term implies a loss of smoothness and a gain in small, irregular folds. The degree of crimpling can range from a slight texture change to a severe and noticeable deformation. Crimpling differs slightly from 'creasing' which suggests a more defined and sharp fold and 'crumpling' implying a more forceful or haphazard gathering.
Crimple meaning with examples
- She carefully ironed the dress, trying to avoid crimpling the delicate silk. A single accidental fold would ruin the smooth appearance. Careful consideration during the packing process was taken to make sure the dress was in prime condition and ready to be worn, preventing any chance of damaging the fabric.
- The old map, handled repeatedly over the years, began to crimple and tear along the fold lines. This meant that the map had lost some of its integrity, but still gave the general geography. The careful folding of the map initially would have prevented this issue, but was now unpreventable.
- Left in the rain, the cardboard box began to crimple and lose its shape. The effects of the rain would ultimately ruin the box and leave it unfunctional. The box's initial purpose was to withstand the rain and now could not. The overall design of the box failed to protect the contents.
- The artist's canvas was crimpled slightly due to the uneven application of paint and subsequent drying. The uneven application of the paint had ultimately done some irreversible damage to the canvas that was noticeable to the eye. This meant that the canvas lost its value to the artist.
- The old photograph had crimpled around the edges from being stored in a damp attic. This damp attic had caused irrevocable damage to the photograph, and it could no longer be viewed. The photograph's value and importance was greatly reduced because of this environmental degradation.