ˈcrinkle-rootU.S. = pepperwort 1 b. 1847Knickerbocker XXIX. 377 Sassafras is ‘coming good’ now too in the woods; and so is ‘crinkle-root’.1899H. Van Dyke Fisherman's Luck iv. 74 Crinkle-root is spicy, but you must partake of it delicately, or it will bite your tongue.