crest

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

We crested the hill and looked out around us.

Recent Examples on the Web

The arena is visible from the White House North Lawn, cresting over the historic West Wing and Executive Residence. —Isabella Murray, ABC News, 3 June 2026

The last native Japanese crested ibis died in 2003 on Sado Island. —Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026

Local authorities noted that this is the highest the river has crested since March 2020. —La'tasha Givens, CBS News, 26 May 2026

The debt surpassed $39 trillion in mid-March and actually fell below it for several weeks before cresting to this point again. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 20 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing crest

• neural crest

Rhymes for crest

• blessed
• blest
• breast
• chest
• dressed
• fest
• gest
• geste
• guessed
• jest
• lest
• messed

Kids Definition

crest

1 of 2 noun

ˈkrest 

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

ˈkrest 

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