Forms: 1, 3–6 wimpel, 3–5 wympel, 4–6 wymple (1, 3 winpel, 3 wempel, 4 whympel, 5 wim-, wym-, win-, wyn-, -pil, -pill, -pul, -pulle, -pyl, -pylle, Sc. wompyll, 6 wympyll, Sc. womple, 7 wimpell, 9 whimple), 4– wimple. [Late OE. wimpel (M)LG., (M)Du. wimpel, OHG. wimpal veil, banner (MHG., G. wimpel streamer, pennon), ON. vimpill (Sw., Da. vimpel from LG.), whence OF. guimple (mod. F. guimpe), of which the variant wimple coincided with the native form. Ultimate origin uncertain.
It is doubtful whether the senses provisionally placed together here and under the vb. belong all to the same word. In branch II there may be an onomatopæic element; for formation and meaning cf. dimple, rimple, rumple, wrimple.]
I. 1. A garment of linen or silk formerly worn by women, so folded as to envelop the head, chin, sides of the face, and neck: now retained in the dress of nuns. Also gen. a veil.
Used loosely in early glossaries as a rendering of L. anabola, cyclas, peplum, ricinum.
a. 1100. Aldhelm Gloss., I. 4296 (Napier 112). Cyclade, .i. ueste, wimple.
a. 1100. Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 107/37. Ricinum, winpel uel orl. Ibid., 125/8. Anabola, winpel.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 163. Hire winpel wit oðer maked ȝeleu mid saffran.
c. 1240. Ancr. R., 420 (MS. C). Sum seið þæt hit limpeð to ene wummon cundeliche forte were wimpel.
c. 1250. Meid. Maregrete, xlvii. Ðoru þe mitte of ihū christ, wid her wempel ho hin bond.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 6941. Hire bodi wiþ a mantel, a wimpel [v.r. whympel] aboute hire heued.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, II. 110. Do a-woy ȝoure wimpil & schew ȝoure face bare. Ibid. (c. 1386), Prol., 151. Ful semyly hir wympul pynched was.
14[?]. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 601/43. Peplum, a wynpul.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., IX. xxv. 2992. Hyre hayre in wompyll arayande.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., lxix. 317. The emperesse hydde hire face with a wympill, for she wolde not ben y-knowe.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, I. vii. 115. To ask supple, with thaim ane womple bair thai, With handis betand ther breistis by the way.
c. 1530. Crt. Love, 1102. And eke the nonnes, with vaile and wimple plight.
1560. Bible (Genev.), Isa. iii. 22. The costelie apparel and the vailes, and the wimpels, and the crisping pinnes.
1805. Scott, Last Minstrel, V. xvii. White was her whimple, and her veil. Ibid. (1819), Ivanhoe, xlii. Her flowing wimple of black cypress.
1879. Walford, Londoniana, II. 247. Three nuns with veils and whimples.
transf. 1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 123. A certaine smooth and slippery veyle or wimple is substrated.
1861. A. Austin, in Temple Bar, III. 472. Graves are the sheltering wimples Against Life’s rain.
¶ 2. A flag, streamer. [An alien sense.]
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Wimple … a Streamer or Flag.
II. 3. A fold or wrinkle; a turn, winding or twist; a ripple or rippling in a stream.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, II. iv. 30. Bot thai about him lowpit in wympillis [orig. spiris] threw.
1593. Nashe, Christ’s T., 74 b. Be not more curious of a wimple or spot in thy vesture, then thou art of spotting and thorow-stayning thy deere bought Spyrit.
1818. Hogg, Brownie of Bodsbeck, xii. I. 225. A shepherd … hates the wimples, as he calls them, of a turnpike. Ibid., xiv. II. 22. He had as mony links an’ wimples in his tail as an eel.
1845. Eliza Cook, Waters, i. Waters, bright Waters,… your wimple just lulleth the minnow to sleep!
1878. Stevenson, Will o’ Mill, Parson’s Marj. The river ran between the stepping-stones with a pretty wimple.
4. A crafty turn or twist; a wile. Sc.
1638. Sir A. Johnston, Diary (S.H.S.), 320. Notwithstanding al wyles, wimples, offers, motions, and uther letts.
1755. R. Forbes, Ajax’s Sp., 24. The gouden helmet will sae glance, An blink wi’ skyrin brinns, That a’ his wimples they’ll find out Fan i’ the mark he sheens.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xxiv. There is aye a wimple in a lawyer’s clew.
Hence Wimple-less a., not wearing a wimple.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 420. Ȝif ȝe muwen beon wimpel-leas, beoð bi warme keppen.
