Forms: 5–6 wrynkle, 6 wrynkel, wrynckle, 6 wrinkel(l, -kill, wrinkyl, 6–7 wrincle, 6–8 wrinckle; 6– wrinkle (7 wringkle). [app. a back-formation from WRINKLED a. or WRINKLING vbl. sb.]
Somner’s OE. ‘wrinclian, rugare, crispare,… to wrinkle’ occurs in no known text, and was prob. inferred from ʓewrinclod. Kilian’s wrinckelen ‘rugare’ is also uncertified and rendered suspicious by his citation of the English word.]
1. intr. To suffer or undergo contraction or puckering into wrinkles or small folds; to become corrugated. Also with † together, up.
1528. Paynell, Salerne’s Regim., C iij. This crampe … wherby the membre is made shorte and great, and wrynkelynge to gether as lether.
1530. Palsgr., 785/2. I wrinkell, as a kercher or a garment dothe, Je plionne.
1594. Plat, Jewell-ho., II. (1596), 47. If ye kernel do wrinkle or run together.
1688. G. Parker & J. Stalker, Treat. Japaning, etc., viii. 30. Suffer it [your print] not to cockle, wrinkle, or rise up in little bladders.
1719. London & Wise, Compl. Gard., 90. [This] Apple … is apt to wrinkle and wither.
1825. T. Hook, Sayings, Ser. II. I. 62. The neckcloth, after four vain attempts, wrinkled round his neck in folds.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. 147. The ice … seemed to wrinkle up in obedience to the pressure.
transf. 1653. Walton, Angler, v. 127. If he sees the water but wrinkle or move in one of these dead holes.
1864. Buchanan, Undertones, Proteus iii. A trackless Ocean wrinkling tempest-wing’d.
b. Of persons, the face, etc.: To become creased or puckered; to assume or undergo marking with wrinkles, creases, or lines; to crease.
1530. Palsgr., 785/2. Your face begynneth to wrinkell.
1606. Marston, Parasit., II. C 3. What are you fleering at? ther’s some weakenes in your brother you wrinkle at thus.
1684. Contempl. St. Man, I. iv. (1699), 35. If he reach old Age … his Face wrinkles.
1706. Lond. Gaz., No. 4252/4. When he Smiles both corners of his Mouth wrinkle.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 89, ¶ 5. The finest Skin wrinkles in a few Years.
1819. Keats, Fall of Hyperion, I. 225. This old image here, Whose carved features wrinkled as he fell.
1890. Nature, 20 Feb., 378. Its body began to wrinkle and to plump up.
c. To contract into smiles, etc., by puckering.
1853. J. B. Mozley, Lett. (1885), 221. His face wrinkles into countless smiles.
1854. R. S. Surtees, Handley Cr., x. Doleful’s face wrinkled into half its usual size with delight.
† 2. To move sinuously; to wriggle. Obs.
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, Piscis tortilis, a fish that writheth and wrinkleth.
1653. [see WRINKLING ppl. a. 3].
3. trans. To form or cause corrugations, wrinkles or folds in or on (a surface, etc.); to corrugate. Occas. in fig. context. Also with over.
1611. Cotgr., Fronser, to … wrinkle, crumple, frumple.
1670. Milton, Hist. Eng., Wks. 1851, V. 178. Neither do I care to wrincle the smoothness of History with rugged names of places unknown.
1766. Compl. Farmer, s.v. Madder, Too hasty a drying wrinkles and splits the bark.
1796. Coleridge, To Young Friend, 38. A beauteous spring … scarce wrinkled by the gale!
1818. Shelley, Rosal. & Helen, 542. The flood of cloud, Which sunrise from its eastern caves Drives, wrinkling into golden waves. Ibid. (1820), Prometh. Unb., II. i. 137. A wind swept forth wrinkling the Earth with frost.
a. 1825. Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, Crinkle,… to wrinkle, twist, plait, or rumple irregularly.
a. 1856. T. Seddon, in Mem. & Lett. (1858), 205. A wilderness of mountain tops, in some places … wrinkled over with ravines.
absol. 1543. Traheron, Vigo’s Chirurg., II. 75 b. This pouldre … draweth together the loosed parte, it dryeth, riueleth, or wrynkeleth.
b. To contract or draw (the skin, countenance, etc.) into creases or wrinkles; to pucker, crease. Also refl.
1566. Painter, Pal. Pleas. (1569), I. F iv. That the swelling of their body, might not irrugate and wrinckle their faces.
1602. 2nd Pt. Return Parnass., III. iii. 1324. My master will … looke on the title and wrinckle his browe.
a. 1661. Holyday, Persius (1673), 298. He … ne’re wrinkled his nose.
1721. Bailey, Frown, to … wrinkle the Forehead.
1798. Southey, Surg. Warning, vi. He wrinkled his black eye-brow.
1858. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., V. vii. As if the face of the Sphynx were to wrinkle itself in laughter.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., III. xv. Wrinkling his face into a very map of curves and corners.
fig. and in fig. context. 1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., II. ii. 79. A Grecian Queen, whose youth & freshnesse Wrinkles Apolloes.
1647. T. Calvert, Heart Salve, To Rdr. 3. The other carries with it a decor and beautie that no old age … can wrinkle or furrow with uncomelinesse.
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 839. A keen North-winde … Wrinkl’d the face of Deluge, as decai’d.
1789. Burney, Hist. Mus., III. 463. What is the secular Music that thirty years have not wrinkled, withered, and rendered superannuated!
1848. Bailey, Festus (ed. 3), 242. One … Whose heart was wrinkled long before his brow?
absol. c. 1779. Crabbe, Midnight, 438. The Brow of State, On which Distraction … helps the Scythe of Time to wrinkle there.
c. With up.
c. 1590[?]. Sir T. More, III. ii. 205. For know,… Mirth wrinckls vpp my face.
1700. T. Brown, Amusem. Ser. & Com., 3. Wrinkling up his nostrils.
1746. Francis, trans. Horace, Epist., I. v. 33. That no foul Linen wrinkle up the Nose.
1819. Shelley, Cenci, I. iii. 38. I fear that wicked laughter round his eye, Which wrinkles up the skin even to the hair.
1865. Swinburne, Chastelard, V. ii. 186. Sad at her mouth a little, with drawn cheeks And eyelids wrinkled up.
d. To screw up (the eyes). Also with up.
1840. Dickens, Old C. Shop, vi. Quilp, wrinkling up his eyes and luring her towards him with his bent forefinger.
1901. W. R. H. Trowbridge, Lett. to Eliz., x. 43. Blanche wrinkled her eyes at him in the prettiest way.
4. To manifest (something) in or by facial wrinkles. Also refl.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, II. xix. Some ill-favoured cheerefulnesse … began to wrinckle it selfe in his face.
1852. Thackeray, Esmond, II. xiii. Only crows’ feet were wrinkled round them [sc. eyes]—marks of black old Time.
5. intr. Cant. (See quot.)
1812. J. H. Vaux, Flash Dict., Wrinkle, to lie, or utter a falsehood.
Hence Wrinkler. Cant. (See quot.)
1812. J. H. Vaux, Flash Dict., Wrinkler, a person prone to lying; such a character is called also a gully.
