Scrumples

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. A set of small wrinkles, folds, or creases formed in a material or surface ; The process of gathering or compressing something into a crumpled form ; Describing the act of causing something to become wrinkled or distorted in shape through pressure or manipulation
2. Small, irregular folds created in a fabric or paper surface ; The action of compressing or folding an object into a disordered state ; Referring to the result of applying pressure to create a crumpled appearance
3. Creased and wrinkled formations that appear in textiles or flat surfaces ; The act of squeezing together into an unstructured shape ; Characterizing the alteration of an object’s form due to being scrunched or bunched together

Etymology: "Scrumples" is the third-person singular present form of "scrumple," a verb meaning to crumple or crush something into creases. The verb itself is a playful, expressive formation: it blends the sound and feel of "crumple" with "scrumple," a word built on the same sort of clumping, crushed-up sound that many English words of this kind carry. Its use is most often for fabric, where a garment that has been squashed or folded gets a web of small, irregular wrinkles. Because "scrumple" is itself a verb, "scrumples" simply describes an action performed by one subject, as in "the linen scrumples whenever you sit on it." The noun sense in the meaning above, the small creases themselves, comes from the same verb.