Part 660

Crim"i*nous (kr?m"?-n?s), a. [L. criminosus, fr. crimen. See Crime.] Criminal; involving great crime or grave charges; very wicked; heinous. [Obs.] Holland.

-- Crim"i*nous*ly, adv. -- Crim"i*nous*ness, n. [Obs.]

Crim"o*sin (kr?m"?-z?n), n. [Obs.] See Crimson.

Crimp (kr&ibreve;mp), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crimped (kr&ibreve;mt; 215); p. pr. & vb. n. Crimping.] [Akin to D. krimpen to shrink, shrivel, Sw. krympa, Dan. krympe, and to E. cramp. See Cramp.] 1. To fold or plait in regular undulation in such a way that the material will retain the shape intended; to give a wavy appearance to; as, to crimp the border of a cap; to crimp a ruffle. Cf. Crisp.

The comely hostess in a crimped cap. W. Irving.

2. To pinch and hold; to seize.

3. Hence, to entrap into the military or naval service; as, to crimp seamen.

Coaxing and courting with intent to crimp him. Carlyle.

4. (Cookery) To cause to contract, or to render more crisp, as the flesh of a fish, by gashing it, when living, with a knife; as, to crimp skate, etc.

Crimping house, a low lodging house, into which men are decoyed and plied with drink, to induce them to ship or enlist as sailors or soldiers. -- Crimping iron. (a) An iron instrument for crimping and curling the hair. (b) A crimping machine. -- Crimping machine, a machine with fluted rollers or with dies, for crimping ruffles, leather, iron, etc. -- Crimping pin, an instrument for crimping or puckering the border of a lady's cap.

Crimp, a. 1. Easily crumbled; friable; brittle. [R.]

Now the fowler . . . treads the crimp earth. J. Philips.

2. Weak; inconsistent; contradictory. [R.]

The evidence is crimp; the witnesses swear backward and forward, and contradict themselves. Arbuthnot.

Crimp, n. 1. A coal broker. [Prov. Eng.] De Foe.

2. One who decoys or entraps men into the military or naval service. Marryat.

3. A keeper of a low lodging house where sailors and emigrants are entrapped and fleeced.

4. Hair which has been crimped; -- usually in pl.

5. A game at cards. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

Boot crimp. See under Boot.

Crimp"age (-?j), n. The act or practice of crimping; money paid to a crimp for shipping or enlisting men.

Crimp"er (-Ńr), n. One who, or that which, crimps; as: (a) A curved board or frame over which the upper of a boot or shoe is stretched to the required shape. (b) A device for giving hair a wavy appearance. (c) A machine for crimping or ruffling textile fabrics.

Crim"ple (kr?m"p'l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crimpled (-p'ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Crimpling (-pl?ng).] [Dim. of crimp, v. t. ] To cause to shrink or draw together; to contract; to curl. [R.] Wiseman.

Crimp"y (kr?mp"?), a. Having a crimped appearance; frizzly; as, the crimpy wool of the Saxony sheep.

Crim"son (kr&ibreve;m"z'n), n. [OE. crimson, OF. crimoisin, F. cramoisi (cf. Sp. carmesi.) LL. carmesinus, fr. Ar. qermazi, fr. qermez crimson, kermes, fr. Skr. k&rsdot;mija produced by a worm; k&?;mi worm or insect + jan to generate; akin to E. kin. CF. Carmine, Kermes.] A deep red color tinged with blue; also, red color in general.

Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Is. i. 18.

A maid yet rosed over with the virgin crimson of modesty. Shak.

Crim"son, a. Of a deep red color tinged with blue; deep red. "A crimson tide." Mrs. Hemans.