Translation guide
The English word "crimping" refers to joining two pieces of material by deforming one or both to hold the other. In Japanese, the translation depends heavily on the context: electrical work, cooking, metalworking, or hair styling. There is no single all-purpose verb.
To attach a terminal or connector to a wire by squeezing it with a special tool
Crimp the terminal onto the wire.
Please use a crimping tool.
A general verb for crimping, swaging, or caulking metal. Common in manufacturing and DIY. Often used for metal fittings.
Crimp the metal fitting to secure it.
Noun: 'crimp terminal' or 'crimp connector'. The part itself, not the action.
This crimp terminal is the wrong size.
To press the edges of dough together to seal in filling, e.g., for dumplings or pie crust
Means 'to pinch'. In cooking, it describes the action of pinching dough edges to seal or decorate. Very common for gyoza and pies.
Pinch the edges of the gyoza wrapper to seal it.
Crimp the edge of the pie crust to make a pattern.
Literally 'make pleats'. Used specifically for crimping gyoza or dumpling edges into a pleated pattern.
Literally 'press with a fork'. Used for Western-style pies or pastries when you crimp the edge with a fork.
To make hair wavy or zigzag using a special heated tool
Loanword from English 'crimp'. Used in beauty contexts for using a crimping iron. Often written in katakana.
Crimp your hair to add volume.
General phrase for 'add waves'. Not specific to crimping, but understood when context is clear.
Use a curling iron to create tight waves (crimp).
Noun: 'crimping iron'. The tool itself.
I bought a new crimping iron.
To bend sheet metal into a series of ridges or folds for strength
Literally 'corrugated sheet processing'. Used in industrial contexts for making corrugated metal.
Crimp the steel sheet to increase its strength.
Knurling, which is a similar process of impressing a pattern onto metal. Sometimes translated as crimping in specific contexts.
There is no single Japanese verb that covers all meanings of 'crimp'. Using 圧着する for cooking or つまむ for electrical work will cause confusion. Always choose the term based on the specific action and material.
Wrap the gyoza while crimping pleats into the wrapper.
Crimp the pie edge with a fork to seal it.
This part has been crimped (knurled).