DictionaryRoot: -le
English
-le
repeated or slight action
Forms
- -le
Origin
An old Germanic verb ending, surviving in many English action words.
Note
It is no longer freely added to every verb. Matching final letters do not by themselves establish this formation.
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verb / noun
crumple
KRUM-pul/ˈkrʌmpl/
To collapse into a crushed or folded shape.
Etymology
“Curl up” combines with an ending suggesting repeated action: crumpling produces many irregular folds or wrinkles rather than a single bend.