WRINKLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does wrinkle mean? 

• WRINKLE (noun)
  The noun WRINKLE has 3 senses:

1. a slight depression or fold in the smoothness of a surface

2. a minor difficulty

3. a clever method of doing something (especially something new and different)

  Familiarity information: WRINKLE used as a noun is uncommon.

• WRINKLE (verb)
  The verb WRINKLE has 4 senses:

1. gather or contract into wrinkles or folds; pucker

2. make wrinkles or creases on a smooth surface; make a pressed, folded or wrinkled line in; 'crisp' is archaic

3. make wrinkled or creased

4. become wrinkled or crumpled or creased

  Familiarity information: WRINKLE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WRINKLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A slight depression or fold in the smoothness of a surface

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Synonyms:

crease; crinkle; furrow; line; seam; wrinkle

Context example:

ironing gets rid of most wrinkles

Hypernyms ("wrinkle" is a kind of...):

depression; impression; imprint (a concavity in a surface produced by pressing)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "wrinkle"):

crow's feet; crow's foot; laugh line (a wrinkle in the skin at the outer corner of your eyes)

dermatoglyphic (the lines that form patterns on the skin (especially on the fingertips and the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet))

frown line (a facial wrinkle associated with frowning)

life line; lifeline; line of life (a crease on the palm; its length is said by palmists to indicate how long you will live)

heart line; line of heart; love line; mensal line (a crease on the palm; palmists say it indicates your emotional nature)

line of destiny; line of fate; line of Saturn (a crease on the palm; palmists say it indicates how successful you will be)

Holonyms ("wrinkle" is a part of...):

cutis; skin; tegument (a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch)

Derivation:

wrinkle (become wrinkled or crumpled or creased)

wrinkle (make wrinkled or creased)

wrinkle (make wrinkles or creases on a smooth surface; make a pressed, folded or wrinkled line in; 'crisp' is archaic)

wrinkle (gather or contract into wrinkles or folds; pucker)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A minor difficulty

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Context example:

they finally have the wrinkles pretty well ironed out

Hypernyms ("wrinkle" is a kind of...):

difficulty (a factor causing trouble in achieving a positive result or tending to produce a negative result)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A clever method of doing something (especially something new and different)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("wrinkle" is a kind of...):

method (a way of doing something, especially a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement (usually in steps))

• WRINKLE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they wrinkle    ... he / she / it wrinkles   
Past simple: wrinkled   
Past participle: wrinkled   
-ing form: wrinkling   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Gather or contract into wrinkles or folds; pucker

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

purse; wrinkle

Context example:

purse ones's lips

Hypernyms (to "wrinkle" is one way to...):

contract (make smaller)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

wrinkle (a slight depression or fold in the smoothness of a surface)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make wrinkles or creases on a smooth surface; make a pressed, folded or wrinkled line in; 'crisp' is archaic

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

crease; crinkle; crisp; ruckle; scrunch; scrunch up; wrinkle

Context example:

crease the paper like this to make a crane

Hypernyms (to "wrinkle" is one way to...):

fold; fold up; turn up (bend or lay so that one part covers the other)

Domain usage:

archaicism; archaism (the use of an archaic expression)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "wrinkle"):

cockle; crumple; knit; pucker; rumple (to gather something into small wrinkles or folds)

pucker; ruck; ruck up (become wrinkled or drawn together)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They wrinkle the sheets

Derivation:

wrinkle (a slight depression or fold in the smoothness of a surface)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make wrinkled or creased

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

crease; furrow; wrinkle

Context example:

furrow one's brow

Hypernyms (to "wrinkle" is one way to...):

fold; fold up; turn up (bend or lay so that one part covers the other)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

wrinkle (a slight depression or fold in the smoothness of a surface)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Become wrinkled or crumpled or creased

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

crease; crinkle; crumple; rumple; wrinkle

Context example:

This fabric won't wrinkle

Hypernyms (to "wrinkle" is one way to...):

fold; fold up (become folded or folded up)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sentence examples:

The sheets didn't wrinkle
These fabrics wrinkle easily

Derivation:

wrinkle (a slight depression or fold in the smoothness of a surface)

 Context examples 

Puppies have more wrinkles than adults.

(Chinese Shar-Pei, NCI Thesaurus)

There is a little wrinkle in your search for a new place to live though—I will explain.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

OnabotulinumtoxinA is also used to smooth wrinkles on the face.

(botulinum toxin type A, NCI Dictionary)

The Bloodhound is a powerful, massive hound with a long muzzle, drooping ears, and loose, wrinkled skin.

(Bloodhound, NCI Thesaurus)

Botox is also used to smooth wrinkles on the face.

(Botox, NCI Dictionary)

They are used in skin care products to reduce wrinkles and soften the skin.

(AHA, NCI Dictionary)

Unlike more cosmetic markers of aging, such as wrinkles and gray hair, sleep deterioration has been linked to such conditions as Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and stroke, he said.

(Deep Sleep May Act as Fountain of Youth in Old Age, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Her face was covered with wrinkles, her hair was nearly white, and she walked rather stiffly.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

Botulinum toxin A is also used to smooth wrinkles on the face.

(botulinum toxin A, NCI Dictionary)

As the ground under Mare Frigoris shifts, it pushes up wrinkle ridges, which typically snake along the ground for several miles.

(Study Finds New Wrinkles on Earth's Moon, NASA)