cripple

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To seriously damage something so that it can no longer work properly.

   The strike crippled the country's transport system for a week.

2. 2
   verb

   To injure someone so badly that they can no longer use part of their body.

   The accident crippled him for life.

From Middle English cripel, crepel, crüpel, from Old English crypel (“crippled; a cripple”), from Proto-Germanic *krupilaz (“tending to crawl; a cripple”), from Proto-Indo-European *grewb- (“to bend, crouch, crawl”), from Proto-Indo-European *ger- (“to bend, twist”), equivalent to creep + -le. Cognate with Dutch kreupel, Low German Kröpel, German Krüppel, Old Norse kryppill.

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