| wrinkle | 1. A small ridge, prominence, or furrow formed by the shrinking or contraction of any smooth substance; a corrugation; a crease; a slight fold; as, wrinkle in the skin; a wrinkle in cloth. "The wrinkles in my brows." "Within I do not find wrinkles and used heart, but unspent youth." (Emerson) 2. Hence, any roughness; unevenness. "Not the least wrinkle to deform the sky." (Dryden) 3. [Perhaps a different word, and a dim. AS. Wrenc a twisting, deceit. Cf. Wrench] A notion or fancy; a whim; as, to have a new wrinkle. Origin: OE. Wrinkil, AS. Wrincle; akin to OD. Wrinckel, and prob. To Dan. Rynke, Sw. Rynka, Icel. Hrukka, OHG. Runza, G. Runzel, L. Ruga. 1. To contract into furrows and prominences; to make a wrinkle or wrinkles in; to corrugate; as, wrinkle the skin or the brow. "Sport that wrinkled Care derides." "Her wrinkled form in black and white arrayed." (Pope) 2. Hence, to make rough or uneven in any way. "A keen north wind that, blowing dry, Wrinkled the face of deluge, as decayed." (Milton) "Then danced we on the wrinkled sand." (Bryant) To wrinkle at, to sneer at. Origin: Wrinkled; Wrinkling. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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