▪ I. crumble, n.
(ˈkrʌmb(ə)l)
Also 6 cromble.
[In sense 1, app. dim. of crumb: cf. Du. kruimel, LG. krömel, MG. krümel (:—*krumila), small crumb. In sense 2 treated as vbl. n. from crumble v.]
1. A small or tiny crumb of anything friable; a particle of dust, etc. Obs. or dial. rare.
| 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. iii. (1586) 146 b, They so shake the milke, as they sever the thinnest parte of it from the thicke, which at the first gather together in little crombles. 1646 J. Maine Sermon (1647) 19 This diversity of Tongues at first broke the world into the severall crumbles and portions of men. 1704 in Phil. Trans. XXV. 1552 The Powder or Crumbles of 'em is what we call Bikstone. 1820 Clare Poems, Rural Life (1821) 43 Thou shalt eat of the crumbles of bread to thy fill. |
2. a. Crumbling substance; anything of crumbling consistency; fine débris. rare.
| 1860 Hawthorne Marb. Faun (1879) II. xx. 203 She had trodden lightly over the crumble of old crimes. 1883 Jefferies Story of my Heart i. 5 The crumble of dry chalky earth I took up and let fall through my fingers. |
b. Cookery. Food, such as bread or a mixture of flour and fat, in the form of crumbs; a dish made from such crumbs together with fruit, esp. apple crumble. Also attrib.
| 1947 M. Given Mod. Encycl. Cooking I. 727 Apple crumble. 1951 Good Housek. Home Encycl. 589/1 Canadian or ‘crumble’ topping for pies. 1958 J. Hawthorne Myst. Blue Tomatoes xiv. 92 For ‘afters’ to-day she made them all an apple crumble. Ibid., Her crumbles were delicious. 1958 Listener 12 June 995/1 Rhubarb crumble pudding... Rhubarb crumble. |
▪ II. crumble, v.
(ˈkrʌmb(ə)l)
Forms: α. 5 kremele, 6 crymble, 6–8 crimble; β. 6 cromble, croomble, 6– crumble.
[The current form crumble is known only from late in the 16th c.; being evidently an assimilation to crumb, crumbly, etc. of the earlier crymble, crimble, the type being an OE. *crymelen (:—*krumilôn), f. cruma crumb: cf. prec. So Du. kruimelen, G. krümeln, LG. krömeln to crumble.]
1. trans. To break down into small crumbs; to reduce to crumbs or small fragments.
| c 1420 Liber Cocorum (1862) 36 Kremelyd sewet of schepe. 1570 Levins Manip. 132/2 To crimble, comminuere. 1577 Hanmer Anc. Eccl. Hist. (1619) 118 Commanded him to crimble or soke it. 1641 J. Jackson True Evang. T. i. 7 Bread must be distributed, not crumbled. 1796 H. Glasse Cookery xiv. 214 You may crumble white bread instead of biscuit. 1853 Phillips Rivers Yorksh. i. 8 Moisture softens and crumbles the shale. |
b. To strew or scatter as crumbs.
| 1547 Boorde Brev. Health cvi. 40 b, Crymble them into a pynt of read wyne. 1803 Jrnl. Excurs. Swiss Landscapes, While cabins, single or in clusters, have been crumbled over it. |
c. fig.
| 1632 G. Herbert Church Porch xii, O crumble not away thy souls fair heap. 1667 Poole Dial. betw. Protest. & Papist (1735) 81 You are crumbled into a thousand Sects. 1780 Burke Sp. Econ. Reform Wks. 1842 I. 240 To avoid frittering and crumbling down the attention. 1870 Farrar Witn. Hist. ii. (1871) 75 Sufficient..to crumble the mythical theory of miracles into the dust. |
2. intr. To fall asunder in small crumbs or particles; to become pulverized.
| 1577–87 Holinshed Chron. III. 1137/2 Bulworks, whereof the filling..did crimble awaie. 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. i. (1586) 32 The bread is very drye, and croombleth lyke Sand or Ashes. a 1624 Bp. M. Smith Serm. (1632) 14 Shall it not breake and crimble betweene your fingers? 1697 Evelyn Numism. Introd. 2 Marbles with their deepest inscriptions crumble away. 1703 T. N. City & C. Purchaser 256 Their [stones'] edges crimble off. 1816 Keatinge Trav. (1817) I. 224 The earth crumbled under our horses' feet. 1875 Bryce Holy Rom. Emp. xix. (ed. 5) 358 Ready to crumble at a touch. |
| fig. 1642 Fuller Holy & Prof. St. v. xi. 404 They [the Donatists] crumbled into severall divisions amongst themselves. 1868 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) II. vii. 120 His influence was crumbling away. |