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wim·ple

(wĭmpəl)

1. A cloth wound around the head, framing the face, and drawn into folds beneath the chin, worn by women in medieval times and as part of the habit of certain orders of nuns.

a. A fold or pleat in cloth.

b. A ripple, as on the surface of water.

c. A curve or bend.

v. wim·pled, wim·pling, wim·ples

v.tr.

1. To cover with or dress in a wimple.

2. To cause to form folds, pleats, or ripples.

v.intr.

1. Archaic To form or lie in folds.

2. To ripple.

[Middle English wimpel, from Old English; see weip- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

(click for a larger image)

wimple

portrait of Margaret of Austria (1480-1530) by Bernard van Orley (1488-1551)

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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