crest

[ krest ]

noun

1. the highest part of a hill or mountain range; summit.
2. the head or top of anything.
3. a ridge or ridgelike formation.
4. the foamy top of a wave.
5. the point of highest flood, as of a river.
6. the highest point or level; climax; culmination.
7. a tuft or other natural growth on the top of the head of an animal, as the comb of a rooster.
8. anything resembling or suggesting such a tuft.
9. the ridge of the neck of a horse, dog, etc.
10. the mane growing from this ridge.
11. an ornament or heraldic device surmounting a helmet.
12. a helmet.
13. a ridge running from front to back along the top of a helmet; comb.
14. Heraldry. a figure borne above the escutcheon in an achievement of arms, either on a helmet or by itself as a distinguishing device.
15. Anatomy. a ridge, especially on a bone.
16. a ridge or other prominence on any part of the body of an animal.
17. Architecture. a cresting.
18. 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. Compare root ¹( def 15a ).

verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with a crest.
2. to serve as a crest for; crown or top.
3. to reach the crest or summit of (a hill, mountain, etc.).

verb (used without object)

1. to form or rise to a crest, as a wave or river.
2. to reach the crest or highest level:

   Interest in the project has crested.

CREST

¹

/ krɛst /

noun

1. an electronic share-settlement system, created by the Bank of England and owned by 69 firms, that began operations in 1996

crest

²

/ krɛst /

noun

1. a tuft or growth of feathers, fur, or skin along the top of the heads of some birds, reptiles, and other animals
2. something resembling or suggesting this
3. the top, highest point, or highest stage of something
4. a ridge on the neck of a horse, dog, lion, etc
5. the mane or hair growing from this ridge
6. an ornamental piece, such as a plume, on top of a helmet
7. 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
8. a ridge along the top of a roof, wall, etc
9. a ridge along the surface of a bone
10. Also calledcresting archery identifying rings painted around an arrow shaft

verb

1. intr to come or rise to a high point
2. tr to lie at the top of; cap
3. tr to go to or reach the top of (a hill, wave, etc)

crest

/ krĕst /

1. The part of a wave with greatest magnitude; the highest part of a wave.
2. Compare troughSee more at wave

Derived Forms

• ˈcrested, adjective
• ˈcrestless, adjective

Other Words From

• crested adjective
• crestless adjective
• subcrest noun
• un·crested adjective
• under·crest noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of crest¹

1275–1325; Middle English creste < Old French < Latin crista

Word History and Origins

Origin of crest¹

C20: from CrestCo , the name of the operating company

Origin of crest²

C14: from Old French creste , from Latin crista

Example Sentences

You can summit crests like 10,064-foot Mount San Antonio and 8,985-foot Telegraph Peak right out the gates of Mount Baldy Resort in the San Gabriel Mountains.

From Outside Online

Pernigotti suffered only a ruptured Achilles tendon and, with his partner’s help, made it to the crest, where a helicopter came to his rescue.

From Outside Online

The distance between each crest, or tip, of a wave is its wavelength.

From Science News For Students

The 2020 Dodgers may represent a rare opportunity, the crest of a franchise’s talent-rich era.

From FiveThirtyEight

Wavelength is the distance from one point on a wave to an identical point on the next, such as from crest to crest or from trough to trough.

From Science News For Students

To break her self-destructive cycle and heal, she decides to hike 1,100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail solo.

From The Daily Beast

Plus, Procter & Gamble has already removed triclosan from its Crest toothpaste.

From The Daily Beast

The Tea Party wave, which would crest a few months later, still seemed far out to shore.

From The Daily Beast

Internal Revenue has its own crest or coat of arms or something.

From The Daily Beast

Procter & Gamble introducing Crest toothpaste line with nontraditional flavors—chocolate, vanilla, lime.

From The Daily Beast

But at the instant I caught a sight of my counterfeit presentment in a shop window, and veiled my haughty crest.

From Project Gutenberg

The crest-fallen astronomer plodded on his weary way, another example of a fool and his money soon parted.

From Project Gutenberg

He swam with her upon the summit of the breaking Wave, lifted upon its crest, swept onward irresistibly.

From Project Gutenberg

Still a-shiver at dawn, I saddled up and loped for the crest of the nearest divide to get the benefit of the first sun-rays.

From Project Gutenberg

I rubbed in the spot indicated, and out came the crest and initials exactly as Jack had described them.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• height
• peak
• ridge