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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

crest en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /kɹɛst/
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English creste, from Old French creste (modern French crête) and perhaps continuing Old English cræsta (“crest, tuft, plume”); both ultimately from Vulgar Latin *cresta, from Latin crista. Doublet of crista. The informal meaning “design, logo” (noun sense 11) stems from a misinterpretation of the heraldic noun sense 4, which specifically refers to the object placed on top of the helm.

Meanings

  1. The summit of a hill or mountain ridge.
  2. A tuft, or other natural ornament, growing on an animal's head, for example the comb of a cockerel, the swelling on the head of a snake, the lengthened feathers of the crown or nape of bird, etc.
  3. The plume of feathers, or other decoration, worn on or displayed on a helmet; the distinctive ornament of a helmet.
  4. A bearing worn, not upon the shield, but usually on a helmet above it, sometimes (as for clerics) separately above the shield or separately as a mark for plate, in letterheads, and the like.
    • I liked the man for his own sake, and even had he promised to turn out a celebrity it would have had no weight with me. I look upon notoriety with the same indifference as on the buttons on a man's shirt-front, or the crest on his note-paper. 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
  5. The upper curve of a horse's neck.
  6. The ridge or top of a wave.
    • Then, too, the same flutter is observed when it glides over the crest of a wave, but this probably only occurs when the wind lies in a certain direction from the axis of flight. 1926, Ernest Bade, Science and Invention, volume 17, Experimenter Publishing Company, page 462:
  7. The helm or head, as typical of a high spirit; pride; courage.
  8. The ornamental finishing which surmounts the ridge of a roof, canopy, etc.
  9. The top line of a slope or embankment.
  10. A ridge along the surface of a bone.
  11. (informal) A design or logo, especially one of an institution, sports club, association or high-class family.
    • Hungry for fame and the approval of rare-animal collector Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton), Darwin deceives the Captain and his crew into believing they can get enough booty to win the pirate competition by entering Polly in a science fair. So the pirates journey to London in cheerful, blinkered defiance of the Queen, a hotheaded schemer whose royal crest reads simply “I hate pirates.” 2012 April 26, Tasha Robinson, “Film: Reviews: The Pirates! Band Of Misfits :”, in The Onion AV Club:
  12. Any of several birds in the family Regulidae, including the goldcrests and firecrests.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
crests Number=Plur lexicographic

Coordinates

caruncle (skin on head of birds) · wattle (skin on head of birds) · snood (skin on head of birds)

Deriveds

flamecrest · crestfish · interior crest · crestlike · crestline · iliac crest · crestie · ride the crest of the wave · undercrest · crestal · crest-tailed mulgara · crestfallen · helmetcrest · infratemporal crest · neural crest syndrome · sagittal crest · increst · crest tile · neurocrest · neural crest · great crest · hillcrest · plovercrest · Pacific Crest · crestless · cresyl · Scotch crest · crest cloud

Synonyms

comb (skin on head of birds) · cockscomb (skin on head of birds)

Translations (186)

oc aresta (ornamental finishing) · rup creastã (ridge or top of a wave) · ga moing (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · ca plomall (plume or decoration on a helmet) · az daraq (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · fr aigrette (plume or decoration on a helmet) · gd mullach (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · es cresta (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · bg гре́бен (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · ru гри́ва (upper curve of horse's neck) · fi harjaviiva (top line of a slope) · sv kam (ridge or top of a wave) · it timbro (heraldic bearing) · ru гре́бень (top line of a slope) · pt crina (upper curve of horse's neck) · es cornisa (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · pt crista (plume or decoration on a helmet) · wa cresse (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · mk кикиришка (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · ko(animal’s or bird’s tuft) · it criniera (upper curve of horse's neck) · tl tuktok (ridge or top of a wave) · pt crista (da/de onda) (ridge or top of a wave) · nl top (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · vi mào (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · scn pizzu (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · fi kypäränkoriste (heraldic bearing) · fi harja (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · cy tusw (plume or decoration on a helmet) · fi harja (ridge or top of a wave) · wa cresse (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · fr crinière (upper curve of horse's neck) · pl czub (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · tr ibik (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · nl kam (ridge or top of a wave) · de Helmzier (heraldic bearing) · ca cresta (ridge or top of a wave) · pl wierch (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · fr crête (top line of a slope) · de Gipfel (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · sq fjuhull (helm or head) · it cresta (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · es cresta (plume or decoration on a helmet) · grc λόφος (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · de Wellenkamm (ridge or top of a wave) · es copete (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · ga círín (heraldic bearing) · ru хохоло́к (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · gd bàrr (ridge or top of a wave) · fi harja (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · pt crista (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · sv bergskam (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · ca cresta (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · mi upane (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · ca crinera (plume or decoration on a helmet) · pl grzebień (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · fi töyhtö (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · nl bergkam (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · sv kam (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · nl kuif (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · pl pióropusz (plume or decoration on a helmet) · fa خوچ (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · rup creastã (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · cs klenot (heraldic bearing) · eo kresto (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · fi harja (anatomy: ridge along the surface of a bone) · vi đỉnh sóng (ridge or top of a wave) · nl pluim (plume or decoration on a helmet) · sq kreshtë (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · mi hurutihi (plume or decoration on a helmet) · mi puhipuhi (plume or decoration on a helmet) · fi harja (upper curve of horse's neck) · nl helmteken (heraldic bearing) · bg гребен (top line of a slope) · pl szczyt (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · grc λόφος (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · gd cìrean (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · hy կատար (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · mk врв (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · ro creastă (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · ota ایبك (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · ru плюма́ж (plume or decoration on a helmet) · es cresta (ridge or top of a wave) · vi ngọn sóng (ridge or top of a wave) · ro creastă (ridge or top of a wave) · gd mullach (ridge or top of a wave) · sh uvor (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · scn crista (ridge or top of a wave) · sv topp (ridge or top of a wave) · ttj orusunsu class 11 (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · nl golfkam (ridge or top of a wave) · bg гребен (plume or decoration on a helmet) · he ציצית ראש (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · mk челенка (heraldic bearing) · nl kam (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · mi upane (top line of a slope) · la crista (plume or decoration on a helmet) · mk гребен (ridge or top of a wave) · sv kam (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · fa ستیغ (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · sv vågtopp (ridge or top of a wave) · pt cume (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · grc λόφος (plume or decoration on a helmet) · es cimera (heraldic bearing) · mk качулка (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · de Kamm (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · ro creastă (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · mk челенка (plume or decoration on a helmet) · fa پوپ (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · ru верши́на (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · mi koukou (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · de Krone (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · ga buaic capaill (upper curve of horse's neck) · fr crête (anatomy: ridge along the surface of a bone) · mk перјаница (plume or decoration on a helmet) · ja とさか (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · pt elmo (helm or head) · fi heltta (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · ru гре́бень (ridge or top of a wave) · cmn(animal’s or bird’s tuft) · it cresta (ridge or top of a wave) · de Wellenspitze (ridge or top of a wave) · fi harja (top line of a slope) · ga círín (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · fa کاکل (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · it crine (upper curve of horse's neck) · de Helmkleinod (heraldic bearing) · sv hjälmprydnad (heraldic bearing) · es cimera (plume or decoration on a helmet) · ga círín (ridge or top of a wave) · mk пувка (helm or head) · kmr lûtke (ridge or top of a wave) · mk гривна (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · ms puncak (ridge or top of a wave) · pt timbre (heraldic bearing) · ast caramiellu (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · mk кикиришка (plume or decoration on a helmet) · es cresta (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · ru гребешо́к (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · it cimiero (heraldic bearing) · ru конёк (ornamental finishing) · scn pizzu (top line of a slope) · pt pluma (plume or decoration on a helmet) · fa خوچ (plume or decoration on a helmet) · id gombak (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · it cimiero (plume or decoration on a helmet) · id jambul (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · fr crête (ornamental finishing) · scn chirca (plume or decoration on a helmet) · cy crib (plume or decoration on a helmet) · grc ἄμβων (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · fi töyhtö (plume or decoration on a helmet) · ru гре́бень (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · fr huppe (plume or decoration on a helmet) · it cresta (plume or decoration on a helmet) · ast moñu (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · fr crête (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · bg гре́бен (ridge or top of a wave) · ga círín (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · ru хо́лка (upper curve of horse's neck) · bg грива (upper curve of horse's neck) · xal ширк (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · sv vågkam (ridge or top of a wave) · id jambak (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · de Haube (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · bg гребен (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · mk грива (upper curve of horse's neck) · it cresta (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · bg герб (heraldic bearing) · pl klejnot (heraldic bearing) · es penacho (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · la crista (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · fr crête (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · hy գագաթ (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · mk креста (helm or head) · nl golftop (ridge or top of a wave) · fr cimier (heraldic bearing) · az pipik (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · fr crête (ridge or top of a wave) · ga curca (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · mi tūtūātanga (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · rup creastã (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · fur creste (animal’s or bird’s tuft) · sv krest (heraldic bearing) · ca carena (summit of a hill or mountain ridge) · de Zimir (heraldic bearing)

crest en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /kɹɛst/
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English creste, from Old French creste (modern French crête) and perhaps continuing Old English cræsta (“crest, tuft, plume”); both ultimately from Vulgar Latin *cresta, from Latin crista. Doublet of crista. The informal meaning “design, logo” (noun sense 11) stems from a misinterpretation of the heraldic noun sense 4, which specifically refers to the object placed on top of the helm.

Meanings

  1. (intransitive) Particularly with reference to waves, to reach a peak.
    • The Skagit and Snohomish Rivers, which run through the region, are predicted to crest at record levels. 2025 December 12, Sam Sifton, “Why Is It So Hard to Build Big Things?”, in The New York Times:
    • Freud’s cultural and scientific influence crested some 70 years ago, and much of psychiatry’s history since then has consisted of a renunciation of the man, his concepts, and his therapeutic techniques so comprehensive as to have an edge of savagery, even vengeance, to it. 2026 August 4, Scott Stossel, “What if Freud Was Right?”, in The Atlantic:
  2. (transitive) To reach the crest of (e.g. a hill or mountain).
    • the land rolls gently, so that, upon cresting a low rise or passing a copse of wind turbines, you suddenly spot a lot full of lorries or a complex of gigantic sheds. 2019 November 21, Samanth Subramanian, “How our home delivery habit reshaped the world”, in The Guardian:
  3. (transitive) To furnish with, or surmount as, a crest; to serve as a crest for.
    • His legs bestrid the ocean, his reared arm / Crested the world. c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:
    • groves of clouds that crest the mountain's brow 1815, William Wordsworth, Extracts from An Evening Walk:
  4. (transitive) To mark with lines or streaks like waving plumes.
    • Like as the shining skie in summers night, / What time the dayes with scorching heat abound, / Is creasted all with lines of firie light 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 13:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
crested Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
crested Tense=Past lexicographic
cresting Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
crests Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic

Translations (1)

de erklimmen (to reach the crest of (a hill or mountain))