crumble

Meaning

Verb

1. (figuratively, intransitive, often) To fall apart; to disintegrate.
2. (transitive) To break into crumbs.
3. (transitive) To mix (ingredients such as flour and butter) in such a way as to form crumbs.

Noun

A dessert of British origin containing stewed fruit topped with a crumbly mixture of fat, flour, and sugar.

Synonyms

collapse

crush

break up

disintegrate

decay

fall

fall apart

break

chop up

grind

crumple

go to pieces

granulate

molder

slice

powder

slice up

tumble down

cause to crumble

be friable

pound

💷

granulize

rub

mill

cave in

fall to pieces

shatter

shred

break down

destroy

spread

hash

#️⃣

dilapidate

tumble

fall in

break apart

break into pieces

moulder

erode

soaked

soften

stamp

step on

strike

subside

be eroded

crumble away

draw to an end

go to rack and ruin

press together

Translations

émietter

zerbröckeln

effriter

desmoronarse

desmigajar

zerkrümeln

desmenuzar

krümeln

sgretolarsi

desmoronar

casser

afbrokkelen

s’émietter

s’effondrer

sbriciolare

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkɹʌmbəl/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: *crymblen

Inherited from Old English: *crymlan

Cognate with Dutch: kruimelen

Cognate with German: Krümel

Cognate with German: Krume

Cognate with German: krümeln

In summary

From earlier crymble, crimble, from Middle English *crymblen, kremelen, from Old English *crymlan (“to crumble”), from *crymel (“a small crumb; crumble”), diminutive of Old English cruma (“crumb”), equivalent to crumb + -le (diminutive suffix). Compare Dutch kruimelen (“to crumble”), German Low German krömmeln (“to crumble”), German Krümel, diminutive of German Krume, German krümeln, krümmeln (“to crumble”). Alteration of vowel due to analogy with crumb.