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crumbling

 - 4 dictionary results

crum⋅ble

  [kruhm-buhl] verb, -bled, -bling, noun
Use crumbling in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to break into small fragments or crumbs.
–verb (used without object)
2. to fall into small pieces; break or part into small fragments.
3. to decay or disintegrate gradually: The ancient walls had crumbled.
–noun
4. a crumbly or crumbled substance.
5. crumbles, bits of crisp bacon, bread, etc., added to other foods, esp. as a topping.
6. British Dialect. crumb; particle; fragment.
Origin:
1375–1425; earlier crymble, crimble; late ME kremelen, akin to crome crumb; see -le

Related forms:
crum⋅bling⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. mash, shatter. 2. disintegrate.

crum⋅blings

  [kruhm-blingz]
–plural noun
crumbs; crumbled bits.
Origin:
crumble + -ing 1 + -s 3
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To crumbling
crum·ble   (krŭm'bəl)   
v.   crum·bled, crum·bling, crum·bles

v.   tr.
To break into small fragments or particles.
v.   intr.

  1. To fall into small fragments or particles; disintegrate. See Synonyms at decay.

  2. To give way; collapse: an ego that crumbles under pressure.

n.  A baked dessert of fruit topped with a crumbly pastry mixture: cherry crumble.

[Alteration (influenced by crumb) of Middle English cremelen, from Old English *crymelen, frequentative of gecrymmian, to break into crumbs, from cruma, crumb.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

crumble 
O.E. *crymelan, presumed freq. of gecrymman "to break into crumbs," from cruma (see crumb). The -b- is probably on analogy of Fr. words like humble, where it belongs. Crummy "easily crumbled" (1567) yielded a slang sense of "poorly made" (1859), but probably was influenced by mid-19c. slang crumb "body louse" (cf. lousy).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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