From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [wn]:
crumble
v 1: fall apart; "the building crimbled after the explosion";
"Negociations broke down" [syn: crumple, tumble,
break down, collapse]
2: break or fall apart into fragments; "The cookies crumbled";
"The Sphinx is crumbling" [syn: fall apart]
3: fall into decay or ruin; "The unoccupied house started to
decay" [syn: decay, delapidate]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Crumble \Crum"ble\ (kr[u^]m"b'l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crumbled
(kr[u^]m"b'ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Crumbling
(kr[u^]m"bl[i^]ng).] [Dim. of crumb, v. t., akin to D.
kruimelen G. kr["u]meln.]
To break into small pieces; to cause to fall in pieces.
[1913 Webster]
He with his bare wand can unthread thy joints,
And crumble all thy sinews. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Crumble \Crum"ble\, v. i.
To fall into small pieces; to break or part into small
fragments; hence, to fall to decay or ruin; to become
disintegrated; to perish.
[1913 Webster]
If the stone is brittle, it will crumble and pass into
the form of gravel. --Arbuthnot.
[1913 Webster]
The league deprived of its principal supports must soon
crumble to pieces. --Prescott.
[1913 Webster]