mangle
1[ mang-guhl ]
/ ˈmæŋ gəl /
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verb (used with object), man·gled, man·gling.
to injure severely, disfigure, or mutilate by cutting, slashing, or crushing: The coat sleeve was mangled in the gears of the machine.
to spoil; ruin; mar badly: to mangle a text by careless typesetting.
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Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?
First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.
First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.
First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
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Origin of mangle
11350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French mangler, perhaps dissimilated variant of Old French mangonner “to mangle”; akin to mangonel
synonym study for mangle
1. See maim.
OTHER WORDS FROM mangle
mangler, nounDefinition for mangle (2 of 2)
mangle2
[ mang-guhl ]
/ ˈmæŋ gəl /
noun
a machine for smoothing or pressing clothes, household linen, etc., by means of heated rollers.
verb (used with object), man·gled, man·gling.
to smooth or press with a mangle.
Metalworking. to squeeze (metal plates) between rollers.
Origin of mangle
2Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for mangle
British Dictionary definitions for mangle (1 of 2)
mangle1
/ (ˈmæŋɡəl) /
verb (tr)
to mutilate, disfigure, or destroy by cutting, crushing, or tearing
to ruin, spoil, or mar
Derived forms of mangle
mangler, nounmangled, adjectiveWord Origin for mangle
C14: from Norman French mangler, probably from Old French mahaignier to maim
British Dictionary definitions for mangle (2 of 2)
mangle2
/ (ˈmæŋɡəl) /
noun
Also called: wringer a machine for pressing or drying wet textiles, clothes, etc, consisting of two heavy rollers between which the cloth is passed
verb (tr)
to press or dry in a mangle
Word Origin for mangle
C18: from Dutch mangel, ultimately from Late Latin manganum. See mangonel
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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