crest
Americannoun
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the highest part of a hill or mountain range; summit.
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the head or top of anything.
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a ridge or ridgelike formation.
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the foamy top of a wave.
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the point of highest flood, as of a river.
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the highest point or level; climax; culmination.
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a tuft or other natural growth on the top of the head of an animal, as the comb of a rooster.
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anything resembling or suggesting such a tuft.
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the ridge of the neck of a horse, dog, etc.
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the mane growing from this ridge.
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an ornament or heraldic device surmounting a helmet.
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a helmet.
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a ridge running from front to back along the top of a helmet; comb.
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Heraldry. a figure borne above the escutcheon in an achievement of arms, either on a helmet or by itself as a distinguishing device.
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Anatomy. a ridge, especially on a bone.
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a ridge or other prominence on any part of the body of an animal.
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Architecture. a cresting.
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Machinery. (in a screw or other threaded object) the ridge or surface farthest from the body of the object and defined by the flanks of the thread.
verb (used with object)
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to furnish with a crest.
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to serve as a crest for; crown or top.
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to reach the crest or summit of (a hill, mountain, etc.).
verb (used without object)
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to form or rise to a crest, as a wave or river.
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to reach the crest or highest level.
Interest in the project has crested.
noun
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a tuft or growth of feathers, fur, or skin along the top of the heads of some birds, reptiles, and other animals
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something resembling or suggesting this
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the top, highest point, or highest stage of something
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a ridge on the neck of a horse, dog, lion, etc
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the mane or hair growing from this ridge
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an ornamental piece, such as a plume, on top of a helmet
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heraldry a symbol of a family or office, usually representing a beast or bird, borne in addition to a coat of arms and used in medieval times to decorate the helmet
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a ridge along the top of a roof, wall, etc
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a ridge along the surface of a bone
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Also called: cresting. archery identifying rings painted around an arrow shaft
verb
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(intr) to come or rise to a high point
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(tr) to lie at the top of; cap
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(tr) to go to or reach the top of (a hill, wave, etc)
noun
Other Word Forms
- crested adjective
- crestless adjective
- subcrest noun
- uncrested adjective
- undercrest noun
Etymology
Origin of crest
1275–1325; Middle English creste < Old French < Latin crista
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I crested a rise and saw a little circle of yurts, and my heart soared.
Both made their Test debuts on the 2022 tour of Pakistan, when Ben Stokes' side were riding the crest of a wave.
From BBC
Around 95 million years ago, the Spinosaurus -- a massive beast with a blade-shaped head crest and interlocking teeth -- roamed the African continent.
From Barron's
One of the most remarkable features of S. mirabilis is its enormous, scimitar shaped crest.
From Science Daily
Very different are the bold designs for wrought-iron ornament, drawn full size, for making grilles, chandeliers and decorative crests.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
