crest

1 of 2

noun

ˈkrest 

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

(3)

: coat of arms sense 2a

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

ˈkre-stᵊl 

adjective

crestless

ˈkrest-ləs 

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

Synonyms

Noun

• pinnacle
• top
• zenith
• height
• peak
• culmination
• apex

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 reader bobs along in the author’s stream of consciousness, riding crests of despair, anger, and hilarity as Toews assembles the shards of her past to investigate her will to write, which is deeply entwined with her will to live. —Kristen Martin, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2025

Despite tweaks along the way, the crest looks basically the same. —Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025

Verb

These floods have now set a record three years in a row: In 2023 the river crested at 14.97 feet (4.56 m) after an outburst, a record exceeded just a year later in the August 2024 flood. —Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 13 Aug. 2025

The Missouri River in Kansas City is expected to peak at 7 p.m. today, with the Blue River at 71 Highway cresting at 1 p.m. How high are rivers and creeks? —Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2025

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

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