Dictionary

ripple en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈɹɪp(ə)l/ (UK, US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From an alteration of rimple.

Meanings

1. A moving disturbance, or undulation, in the surface of a fluid.
   • I dropped a small stone into the pond and watched the ripples spread.
   • Ripples in the water betray the presence of the fish waiting for a chance to pounce on the insects skirting over the water. 2009, Helen Oon, “New Territories”, in Hong Kong (Globetrotters Travel Guide), New Holland Publishers, →ISBN, page 80:
   • What seamen call the "ripples" are also very violent in the straits, the sea appearing to boil and foam and dance like the rapids below a cataract; vessels are swept about helplessly, and small ones are occasionally swamped in the finest weather and under the brightest skies. 1869, Alfred Russel Wallace, The Malay Archipelago, volume I, London: Macmillan and Co., page 239:
2. One of a series of corrugations in flat surface.
   • The ebbing tide had left ripples in the sand.
3. A sound similar to that of undulating water.
4. A style of ice cream in which flavors have been coarsely blended together.
   • I enjoy fudge ripple ice cream, but I especially like to dig through the carton to get at the ripple part and eat only that.
5. A small oscillation of an otherwise steady signal.
6. (figuratively) A small spreading change, impact, or effect produced by a larger or more consequential action.
   • Investments in research, deployment and scaling existing technologies are the initial ripples that will have to build to a groundswell of further action. 2025 September 11, Kate Marvel, “‘We’ve done it before’: how not to lose hope in the fight against ecological disaster”, in The Guardian:

Forms

Deriveds

ripply · megaripple · ripple strip · aripple · rippler · equiripple · ripplon · rippleless · ripple effect · ripple mark · raspberry ripple · intraripple · ripple box · ripple carry · ripplet · ripple voltage · nanoripple

Translations (76)

ja 砂紋 (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · de kleine Welle (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · cs zurčení (sound similar to that of undulating water) · bg пулсация (small oscillation of an otherwise steady signal) · bg ромон (sound similar to that of undulating water) · ota موج (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · km អង្កាញ់ (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · haw ʻaleʻale (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · mi kare (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · sv krusning (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · cmn 波纹 (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · fi väreily (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · mi pōkarekare (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · sv rippel (style of ice cream) · tr dalgacık (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · oc onda (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · izh vire (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · mi karetai (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · cs vlnka (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · nl kabbelen (sound similar to that of undulating water) · cmn 水波 (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · pt ondulação (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · de Kräuseln (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · fi kare (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · pl zmarszczka (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · ru колеба́ния (small oscillation of an otherwise steady signal) · oc ondulacion (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · pdt Wotawalkje (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · fi värinä (small oscillation of an otherwise steady signal) · fi liplatus (sound similar to that of undulating water) · mi orowaru (sound similar to that of undulating water) · ru журча́ние (sound similar to that of undulating water) · ru пульса́ции (small oscillation of an otherwise steady signal) · he אַדְוָה (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · ota طالغه (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · tr dalgalanma (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · it increspatura (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · cs šumění (sound similar to that of undulating water) · be зыб (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · cs čeření (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · nv yilkʼooł (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · mi kōtaotao (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · ko 사문 (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · ja 漣 (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · cmn 漣漪 /涟漪 (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · ko 물결 (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · ru зыбь (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · ga cuilithín (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · ko 연의 (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · sh bućkanje (sound similar to that of undulating water) · mi hāki (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · gv tonnane (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · sv skvalp (sound similar to that of undulating water) · izh kare (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · vi gợn sóng (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · ru рябь (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · km កង្កាញ់ (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · fr ondulation résiduelle (small oscillation of an otherwise steady signal) · cy crychiad (small oscillation of an otherwise steady signal) · ja 漣漪 (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · fi väre (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · nl rimpeling (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · tl kilapsaw (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · fr ondulation (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · mk мрешкање (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · es ondulación (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · uk бри́жа (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · be рабізна́ (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · vi gợn (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · ca ona (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · cy crych (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · cmn 波 (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · de Welligkeit (small oscillation of an otherwise steady signal) · ro undă (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · cy crychiad (moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid) · oc ondulacion residuala (small oscillation of an otherwise steady signal)

ripple en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈɹɪp(ə)l/ (UK, US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From an alteration of rimple.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To move like the undulating surface of a body of water; to undulate.
2. (intransitive) To propagate like a moving wave.
   • These problems were complicated by a foreign exchange crunch which rippled through the economy in 1961-1962, […] 2008, Bradley Simpson, Economists with Guns, page 65:
3. (intransitive) To make a sound as of water running gently over a rough bottom, or the breaking of ripples on the shore.
4. (transitive) To shape into a series of ripples.
5. (transitive) To launch or unleash in rapid succession.
   • Hearns' 'Mech rippled fifteen missiles. Austen watched the missiles go in. They smashed into a copse of trees, smashing the trunks aside. 2019, Jason M. Hardy, Phaedra M. Weldon, Herbert A. Beas II, BattleTech: Weapons Free: BattleCorps Anthology, Volume 3:

Forms

Deriveds

unrippled

Synonyms

ruffle

Translations (23)

ang ȳþian (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water) · cy crychdonni (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water) · nl kabbelen (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water) · izh virehtiä (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water) · cy crychu (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water) · mi māhitihiti (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water) · bg правя вълнички (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water) · bg ромоля (to make a sound as water running across shallows) · eo ondeti (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water) · mk мрешка (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water) · ota طالغهلانمق (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water) · fr onduler (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water) · ca onejar (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water) · cy tonni (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water) · pl marszczyć się (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water) · fi karehtia (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water) · pt ondular (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water) · mi wīwī (to make a sound as water running across shallows) · mi wiki (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water) · mi pōkarekare (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water) · fi väreillä (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water) · es ondular (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water) · pl zmarszczyć się (to move like the undulating surface of a body of water)

ripple en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ˈɹɪp(ə)l/ (UK, US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English *ripelen, repulen, equivalent to rip + -le (frequentative suffix).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To scratch, tear, or break slightly; graze
   • An horsemans javelin[…]having slightly rippled the skinne of his left arme, pierced within his short ribs. 1609, Ammianus Marcellinus, translated by Philemon Holland, The Roman Historie, […], London: […] Adam Jslip, →OCLC:

Forms

ripple en · NOUN · etymology 3

Pronunciation

• /ˈɹɪp(ə)l/ (UK, US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Compare German Low German Repel, Dutch repel, German Riffel, extended forms (with instrumental or diminutive -le) of Low German Repe (“ripple”), Dutch repe (“ripple”). Compare also Dutch repen, German reffen, Swedish repa (“to beat; ripple”). The verb is from Middle English ripplen, rypelen. Compare Low German repelen, Dutch repelen, German riffeln.

Meanings

1. An implement, with teeth like those of a comb, for removing the seeds and seed vessels from flax, broom corn, etc.

Forms

Relateds

brake · swingle · hackle · scutch

Translations (13)

fr drège (implement for removing the seeds from flax) · nl repel (implement for removing the seeds from flax) · gl ripa (implement for removing the seeds from flax) · bg гребен (implement for removing the seeds from flax) · sv frörepa (implement for removing the seeds from flax) · ro darac (implement for removing the seeds from flax) · sv repa (implement for removing the seeds from flax) · de Riffel (implement for removing the seeds from flax) · gl ripo (implement for removing the seeds from flax) · it scapecchiatoio (implement for removing the seeds from flax) · de Riffelkamm (implement for removing the seeds from flax) · cy rhipai (implement for removing the seeds from flax) · gl ripanzo (implement for removing the seeds from flax)

ripple en · VERB · etymology 3

Pronunciation

• /ˈɹɪp(ə)l/ (UK, US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Compare German Low German Repel, Dutch repel, German Riffel, extended forms (with instrumental or diminutive -le) of Low German Repe (“ripple”), Dutch repe (“ripple”). Compare also Dutch repen, German reffen, Swedish repa (“to beat; ripple”). The verb is from Middle English ripplen, rypelen. Compare Low German repelen, Dutch repelen, German riffeln.

Meanings

1. To remove the seeds from (the stalks of flax, etc.), by means of a ripple.

Forms

ripple en · NOUN · etymology 4

Pronunciation

• /ˈɹɪp(ə)l/ (UK, US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Dialectal form of thripple.

Meanings

1. (dialectal, historical) thripple, cart ladder (extension for cart or wagon)

Forms

Deriveds

riblen · → Welsh: riplen