crest

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a showy tuft or process on the head of an animal and especially a bird see bird illustration
b
: the plume or identifying emblem worn on a knight's helmet
also : the top of a helmet
c(1)
: a heraldic representation of the crest
(2)
: a heraldic device depicted above the escutcheon (see escutcheon sense 1) but not upon a helmet
d
: a ridge or prominence on a part of an animal body
2
: something suggesting a crest especially in being an upper prominence, edge, or limit: such as
a
: peak
especially : the top line of a mountain or hill
b
: the ridge of a roof
c
: the top of a wave
3
a
: a high point of an action or process and especially of one that is rhythmic
b
: climax, culmination
at the crest of his fame
crestal adjective
crestless adjective

crest

2 of 2

verb

crested; cresting; crests

transitive verb

1
: to furnish with a crest
also : crown
2
: to reach the crest of
crested the hill and looked around

intransitive verb

: to rise to a crest
waves cresting in the storm

Examples of crest in a Sentence

Noun at that point the filmmaker was at the crest of his critical acclaim, which included winning an Oscar for best picture the hiking party reached the crest of the mountain just as it began to thunder Verb We crested the hill and looked out around us.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Hillsborough River at a state park northeast of Tampa also hit record heights on Sunday, reaching 15.9 feet, well above the previous highest crest of 14.7 feet, set in 1960. Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 13 Oct. 2024 Skyline Drive will connect you to the northernmost section of the Parkway, winding along the crest of the mountains from Waynesboro northward 105 miles to Front Royal. Josh Max, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024
Verb
The Swannanoa River crested at Biltmore Village at 26.1 feet, well over the flood stage of 10 feet and breaking the record of 20.7 feet set in the Great Flood of 1916. Alan Wooten | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 15 Oct. 2024 The Hillsborough River near Zephyrhills crested at 17.14 feet early Friday, marking its highest flood level on record. Denise Chow, NBC News, 13 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for crest 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English creste, from Anglo-French, from Latin crista; probably akin to Latin crinis hair

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of crest was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near crest

Cite this Entry

“Crest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crest. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

crest

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a showy growth (as of flesh or feathers) on the head of an animal
b
: an emblem or design on a helmet (as of a knight) or over a coat of arms
2
: an upper part, edge, or limit
the crest of a hill
the crest of a wave
crested
ˈkres-təd
adjective

crest

2 of 2 verb
1
: to give a crest to
2
: to reach the crest of
crest the hill
3
: to rise to a crest
sea waves cresting

Medical Definition

crest

noun
1
: a showy tuft or process on the head of an animal and especially a bird
2
: a process or prominence on a part of an animal body: as
a
: the upper curve or ridge of the neck of a quadruped (as a horse)
also : the mane borne on such a crest
b
: a ridge especially on a bone
the crest of the tibia
see frontal crest, occipital crest

More from Merriam-Webster on crest

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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