rumple Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb disturb the smoothness of
    mess up; ruffle up; ruffle.
    • ruffle the surface of the water
  2. verb to gather something into small wrinkles or folds
    knit; pucker; crumple; cockle.
    • She puckered her lips
  3. verb become wrinkled or crumpled or creased
    crinkle; crumple; wrinkle; crease.
    • This fabric won't wrinkle

WordNet

Rum"ple transitive verb & intransitive verb
Etymology
Cf. rimple, and D. rimpelen to wrinkle, rompelig rough, uneven, G. rümpgen to wrinkle, MHG. rümphen, OHG. rimpfan, Gr. "ra`mfos the crooked beak of birds of prey, to roam.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Rumpled present participle & verbal noun Rumpling
Definitions
  1. To make uneven; to form into irregular inequalities; to wrinkle; to crumple; as, to rumple an apron or a cravat.
    They would not give a dog's ear of their most rumpled and ragged Scoth paper for twenty of your fairest assignats. Burke.
Rum"ple noun
Definitions
  1. A fold or plait; a wrinkle. Dryden.

Webster 1913