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wrinkle

1
[ ring-kuhl ]
/ ˈrɪŋ kəl /
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See synonyms for: wrinkle / wrinkled / wrinkles on Thesaurus.com

noun
a small furrow or crease in the skin, especially of the face, as from aging or frowning.
a temporary slight ridge or furrow on a surface, due to contraction, folding, crushing, or the like.
verb (used with object), wrin·kled, wrin·kling.
to form wrinkles in; corrugate; crease: Don't wrinkle your dress.
verb (used without object), wrin·kled, wrin·kling.
to become wrinkled.
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Origin of wrinkle

1
1375–1425; late Middle English (noun), back formation from wrinkled,Old English gewrinclod, past participle of gewrinclian to wind round; perhaps akin to wrick, wrench

Other definitions for wrinkle (2 of 2)

wrinkle2
[ ring-kuhl ]
/ ˈrɪŋ kəl /

noun Informal.
an ingenious trick or device; a clever innovation: a new advertising wrinkle.

Origin of wrinkle

2
1375–1425; late Middle English, equivalent to wrinc trick (Old English wrenc;see wrench) + -le
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wrinkle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wrinkle (1 of 2)

wrinkle1
/ (ˈrɪŋkəl) /

noun
a slight ridge in the smoothness of a surface, such as a crease in the skin as a result of age
verb
to make or become wrinkled, as by crumpling, creasing, or puckering

Derived forms of wrinkle

wrinkleless, adjectivewrinkly, adjective

Word Origin for wrinkle

C15: back formation from wrinkled, from Old English gewrinclod, past participle of wrinclian to wind around; related to Swedish vrinka to sprain, Lithuanian reñgti to twist. See wrench

British Dictionary definitions for wrinkle (2 of 2)

wrinkle2
/ (ˈrɪŋkəl) /

noun
informal a clever or useful trick, hint, or dodge

Word Origin for wrinkle

Old English wrenc trick; related to Middle Low German wrank struggle, Middle High German ranc sudden turn. See wrench
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
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