crust

[ kruhst ]

/ krʌst /

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See synonyms for: crust / crusted / crusting on Thesaurus.com

noun

the brown, hard outer portion or surface of a loaf or slice of bread (distinguished from crumb).

a slice of bread from the end of a loaf, consisting chiefly of this.

the pastry covering the outside of a pie or other dish.

a piece of stale bread.

any more or less hard external covering or coating: a crust of snow.

Geology. the outer layer of the earth, about 22 miles (35 km) deep under the continents (continental crust ) and 6 miles (10 km) deep under the oceans (oceanic crust ).Compare mantle (def. 3), core¹ (def. 10).

a scab or eschar.

Slang. unabashed self-assertiveness; nerve; gall: He had a lot of crust going to the party without an invitation.

deposit from wine, as it ripens during aging, on the interior of bottles, consisting of tartar and coloring matter.

the hard outer shell or covering of an animal.

Australian Slang. a living or livelihood: What do you do for a crust?

verb (used with object)

to cover with or as with a crust; encrust.

to form (something) into a crust.

verb (used without object)

to form or contract a crust.

to form into a crust.

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Origin of crust

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French cruste, croste, from Latin crusta “hard coating, crust”

OTHER WORDS FROM crust

crust·less, adjectivein·ter·crust, verb (used with object)un·der·crust, noun

Words nearby crust

crushed velvet, crushproof, crush-resistant, crusie, Crusoe, crust, crustacean, crustaceous, crustal, crustal plate, crusted

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use crust in a sentence

Some of the carbon eventually returns to the surface, via erupting volcanoes or as diamonds, while some gets sequestered away in the deep crust or upper mantle.
Earth’s rarest diamonds form from primordial carbon in the mantle|Carolyn Gramling|September 14, 2020|Science News
It can cut through thick, thin, and deep-dish crusts with ease while being gentle on your wrist.
Pizza cutters that will get you the slice of your dreams|PopSci Commerce Team|September 2, 2020|Popular-Science
That is what lies beyond the outer crust of Kate Raworth’s doughnut.
Is Economic Growth the Wrong Goal? (Ep. 429)|Stephen J. Dubner|August 13, 2020|Freakonomics
The study highlights how seismologists are increasingly acknowledging the importance of fluids in the crust, Shelly says.
Machine learning helped demystify a California earthquake swarm|Carolyn Gramling|June 18, 2020|Science News

In the first scenario, the flare of energy remains anchored to the crust of the star via magnetic field lines.
A Surprise Discovery Points to the Source of Fast Radio Bursts|Shannon Hall|June 11, 2020|Quanta Magazine
Cover crust with parchment paper and pour in baking beans or weights.
Make ‘The Chew’s’ Carla Hall’s Pumpkin Pecan Pie|Carla Hall|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Kanye refuses to stomach any rejection, no matter how upper crust.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s Balmain Campaign: High Fashion Meets Low Culture|Amy Zimmerman|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It has French ingredients like leeks and tarragon, and I use puff pastry to make the crust easy!
Make These Barefoot Contessa Chicken Pot Pies|Ina Garten|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Note: The egg wash both affixes the pastry to the dish and makes a lovely browned crust.
Make These Barefoot Contessa Chicken Pot Pies|Ina Garten|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This chicken features a thin, abundant crust with so many facets and angles you want to call it rococo.
Charlottesville Is Swimming in Finger Lickin’ Gas Station Fried Chicken|Jane & Michael Stern|May 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A very little crust thrown to the very hungry is always accepted with gratitude.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
To demonstrate them, a crust or a hair from the affected area is softened with a few drops of 20 per cent.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
A crust of bread and clear air are far preferable to luxuries enveloped in clouds of smoke and heaps of filth.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick
These layers form what is termed the crust of the earth, and are altogether several miles in thickness.
Gospel Philosophy|J. H. Ward
She holds her knife in her right hand, and in the other a crust of bread with her toothsome morsel on it.
Child Life In Town And Country|Anatole France

British Dictionary definitions for crust

crust

/ (krʌst) /

noun

the hard outer part of bread
a piece of bread consisting mainly of this

the baked shell of a pie, tart, etc

any hard or stiff outer covering or surfacea crust of ice

the solid outer shell of the earth, with an average thickness of 30–35 km in continental regions and 5 km beneath the oceans, forming the upper part of the lithosphere and lying immediately above the mantle, from which it is separated by the Mohorovičić discontinuitySee also sial, sima

the dry covering of a skin sore or lesion; scab

a layer of acid potassium tartrate deposited by some wine, esp port, on the inside of the bottle

the hard outer layer of such organisms as lichens and crustaceans

slang impertinence

British, Australian and NZ slang a living (esp in the phrase earn a crust)

verb

to cover with or acquire a crust

to form or be formed into a crust

Word Origin for crust

C14: from Latin crūsta hard surface, rind, shell

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for crust

crust

[ krŭst ]

The solid, outermost layer of the Earth, lying above the mantle.♦ The crust that includes continents is called continental crust and is about 35.4 to 70 km (22 to 43.4 mi) thick. It consists mostly of rocks, such as granites and granodiorites, that are rich in silica and aluminum, with minor amounts of iron, magnesium, calcium, sodium, and potassium.♦ The crust that includes ocean floors is called oceanic crust and is about 4.8 to 9.7 km (3 to 6 mi) thick. It has a similar composition to that of continental crust, but has higher concentrations of iron, magnesium, and calcium and is denser than continental crust. The predominant type of rock in oceanic crust is basalt.

Cultural definitions for crust

crust

In geology, the outermost layer of the Earth. It overlies the mantle.

notes for crust

The crust includes the continents and the ocean bottom and is generally estimated to be about five to twenty-five miles thick.

notes for crust

The crust is made from relatively lightweight rocks that floated to the surface when the Earth was molten early in its history.

Other Idioms and Phrases with crust

crust

see upper crust.

crust

Origin of crust

OTHER WORDS FROM crust

Words nearby crust

Words related to crust

How to use crust in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for crust

Word Origin for crust

Scientific definitions for crust

Cultural definitions for crust

notes for crust

notes for crust

Other Idioms and Phrases with crust