Crimp

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, v. t. (Firearms) In cartridge making, to fold the edge of (a cartridge case) inward so as to close the mouth partly and confine the charge.

Crimp (krĭmp), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crimped (krĭmt; 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.