Added 9 October 2026
wrinkle
/ˈɹɪŋkl̩/ noun
In Latin: rūga Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about wrinkle at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A small furrow, ridge or crease in an otherwise smooth surface.
-
A line or crease in the skin, especially when caused by age or fatigue.
Spending time out in the sun may cause you to develop wrinkles sooner.
-
A fault, imperfection or bug especially in a new system or product; typically, they will need to be ironed out.
We need to iron out the wrinkles in the plan before implementing it.
verb
-
To make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles.
Be careful not to wrinkle your dress before we arrive.
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To pucker or become uneven or irregular.
An hour in the tub will cause your fingers to wrinkle.
-
To develop irreversibly wrinkles; to age.
The skin is the substance that wrinkles, shows age, stretches, scars and cuts.
noun
- A winkle
Origin
From Middle English wrinkle, wrynkel (“crease, fold, wrinkle”), from the verb (see below). Cognate with Dutch wrinkel (“wrinkle, crease”). Compare also Middle English runkel (“wrinkle”), from Old Norse hrukka (“wrinkle”), from Proto-Germanic *hrunkwǭ (“wrinkle, crease”), whence also French fronce (“crooked smile, scowl, frown”), German Runzel (“wrinkle”), Danish rynke (“wrinkle”), Swedish rynka and rynkla (“wrinkle”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)