dimple
[ dim-puh l ]
/ ˈdɪm pəl /
noun
a small, natural hollow area or crease, permanent or transient, in some soft part of the human body, especially one formed in the cheek in smiling.
any similar slight depression.
verb (used with object), dim·pled, dim·pling.
to mark with or as if with dimples; produce dimples in: A smile dimpled her face.
Metalworking.
- to dent (a metal sheet) so as to permit use of bolts or rivets with countersunk heads.
- to mark (a metal object) with a drill point as a guide for further drilling.
verb (used without object), dim·pled, dim·pling.
to form or show dimples.
Nearby words
- dimorph,
- dimorphism,
- dimorphite,
- dimorphous,
- dimp,
- dimpled,
- dimpling,
- dimpsy,
- dimwit,
- din
Origin of dimple
1350–1400; Middle English dimpel, Old English *dympel; cognate with German Tümpel pool
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for dimple
dimple
/ (ˈdɪmpəl) /
noun
a small natural dent or crease in the flesh, esp on the cheeks or chin
any slight depression in a surface
a bubble or dent in glass
verb
to make or become dimpled
(intr) to produce dimples by smiling
Word Origin for dimple
C13 dympull; compare Old English dyppan to dip, German Tümpel pool
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
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
dimple
[ dĭm′pəl ]
n.
A small natural indentation in the chin, cheek, or sacral region, probably due to some developmental fault in the subcutaneous connective tissue or in underlying bone.
A depression of similar appearance resulting from trauma or the contraction of scar tissue.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.