crevice

[krev-is]

noun

1. a crack forming an opening; cleft; rift; fissure.

crevice

/ ˈkrɛvɪs /

noun

1. a narrow fissure or crack; split; cleft

Other Word Forms

• creviced adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of crevice¹

1300–50; Middle English crevace < Anglo-French, Old French, equivalent to crev ( er ) to crack (< Latin crepāre ) + -ace noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of crevice¹

C14: from Old French crevace, from crever to burst, from Latin crepāre to crack

Example Sentences

Four years older than me, he was dispatched to an American boarding school in Kodaikanal, a “hill station” scattered across the crevices of the Palani Hills, the eastern stretch of the Western Ghats mountain range.

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The problematic species—officially called Harmonia axyridis but often known as the harlequin or the multicolored Asian lady beetle—originated in Asia and spends the winter there nestled in crevices on the sides of cliffs.

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I descended into a crevice in the earth shrouded by foliage, and passed through stone chambers with dioramas with an audio-guide explaining the dramatic saga.

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This presents fewer vulnerable areas for predators to grab onto, and enables their legs to move sideways so they can escape quickly and shelter in crevices.

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These nocturnal hunters nest on cliffs or in crevices and often return to the same site for many years.

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Related Words

• abyss 
• chink 
• crevasse 
• fissure 
• slit