a lightweight fabric of silk, cotton, or other fiber, with a finely crinkled or ridged surface.
a usually black band or piece of this material, worn as a token of mourning.
a thin, light, delicate pancake.
a light cotton, silk, or other fabric with a fine ridged or crinkled surface
( as modifier )
a crepe dress
a black armband originally made of this, worn as a sign of mourning
a very thin pancake, often rolled or folded around a filling
short for crepe paper crepe rubber
1790–1800; < French < Latin crispus curled, wrinkled
From French; see origin at crepe
A crepe is a thin, French type of pancake. It's also a word for a type of thin, crinkly paper. Don't confuse your crepes and start chewing on paper. Both types of crepes are thin, though there's only one kind you'd want to eat. The inedible crepe is paper that's very thin and crinkly. Crepe paper is usually colored and is often used in decorations. The other type of crepe is a thin pancake that is filled with many types of food, including meat and fruit. Crepes are even thinner than Swedish pancakes, and they're either sweet or savory. This word shares a linguistic ancestor with English's crisp.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But in New York I did remodeling, so I’d do things like turn a crepe shop into a hair salon.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2025
He couldn't get the Solein to work as an egg substitute in his carrot crepe.
From Salon • Jan. 29, 2025
The King - standing on the left - is wearing a grey suit and blue tie with his right hand tucked into his pocket, while the Queen wears a blue wool crepe dress.
From BBC • Dec. 7, 2024
It’s from Etsy and made of crepe paper.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 13, 2023
“Go to Uncle Chester’s trunk in the barn. Bring me the crepe paper flowers you’ll find there.”
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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.
