Crumble
'krʌmbəl
Definitions
2 meaningsTo break into small pieces or fragments; to disintegrate.
'krʌmbəl
To break or fall apart into small fragments.
The old building began to crumble after the earthquake.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're holding a dry, old cookie. If you squeeze it, it'll break into tiny bits, or crumble. The word 'crumble' is used when something breaks apart like that.
👶 For kids: To break into tiny pieces.
More Examples
She crumbled the bread into the soup.
His argument crumbled under the weight of the evidence.
How It's Used
"The pastry dough crumbled easily in my hands."
"His confidence began to crumble under pressure."
"The cliff face began to crumble from erosion."
A baked dessert with a topping of crumbs.
'krʌmbəl
A dessert with a topping of baked, coarse crumbs.
We enjoyed a warm peach crumble with vanilla ice cream.
💡 Simply: A yummy dessert made with fruit covered in a crumbly topping.
👶 For kids: A yummy dessert that has a crunchy top.
More Examples
She made a berry crumble for the potluck.
The recipe calls for a generous layer of crumble topping.
How It's Used
"I baked a delicious apple crumble for dessert."
From Middle English cromblen, from Old English *crūmian (to crumble, fall to pieces), related to cruma (crumb).
The word has existed in various forms since the Old English period, reflecting the fundamental human experience of things breaking down.
Memory tip
Imagine a cookie; when it's old, it's easy to CRUMBLE.