crumble
[ kruhm-buhl ]
/ ˈkrʌm bəl /
verb (used with object), crum·bled, crum·bling.
to break into small fragments or crumbs.
verb (used without object), crum·bled, crum·bling.
to fall into small pieces; break or part into small fragments.
to decay or disintegrate gradually: The ancient walls had crumbled.
noun
a crumbly or crumbled substance.
crumbles, bits of crisp bacon, bread, etc., added to other foods, especially as a topping.
British Dialect. crumb; particle; fragment.
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RELATED WORDS
collapse, tumble, disintegrate, decay, grind, crush, degenerate, dissolve, deteriorate, pulverize, crumb, perish, fragment, molder, powder, granulate, putrefy, decompose, triturate
Nearby words
Origin of crumble
SYNONYMS FOR crumble
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for crumble
crumble
/ (ˈkrʌmbəl) /
verb
to break or be broken into crumbs or fragments
(intr) to fall apart or awayhis resolution crumbled
noun
British a baked pudding consisting of a crumbly mixture of flour, fat, and sugar over stewed fruitapple crumble
Word Origin for crumble
C16: variant of crimble, of Germanic origin; compare Low German krömeln, Dutch kruimelen
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
crumble
late 15c., kremelen, from Old English *crymelan, presumed frequentative of gecrymman "to break into crumbs," from cruma (see crumb). The -b- is 16c., probably on analogy of French-derived words like humble, where it belongs, or by influence of crumb. Related: Crumbled; crumbling.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
crumble
see that's how the ball bounces (cookie crumbles).
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.