crest
1 of 2noun
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 2verb
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
- acme
- apex
- apogee
- capstone
- climax
- crescendo
- crown
- culmination
- head
- height
- high noon
- high-water mark
- meridian
- ne plus ultra
- noon
- noontime
- peak
- pinnacle
- sum
- summit
- tip-top
- top
- zenith
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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
Kristin Smith, Outside Online, 31 Aug. 2022 The National Weather Service illustrates here how the water level is rising, showing the crest is right at the major flood level stage. Jay Croft, CNN, 26 Aug. 2022 According to the National Weather Service, the Kentucky River crested at a record 48.74 feet - a full foot over the crest of the Great Flood of 1937. Jason Gonzalez, The Courier-Journal, 1 May 2010 Helping highlight this is the Porsche crest on the hood. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 26 Aug. 2022 Aside from the one-piece crest grille embossed with diagonal lines to mimic the nose of the gasser G80, there's really no telling the two apart from the front. Car and Driver, 18 Aug. 2022 The general secretary was up to code: white trousers, blue blazer, club crest over the heart. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 18 July 2022 The reservoir appeared behind a berm, formerly the crest of a valley. Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2022 Can a new trail help revive this crest of the Sierra? Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2022 Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 31 Aug. 2022 Officials say the state's Pearl River is predicted to crest at 35.5 feet this morning, lower than previously anticipated but still high enough to flood streets. Alexandra Meeks, CNN, 29 Aug. 2022 It is expected to crest at 36 feet on Monday, August 29th in Jackson. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 29 Aug. 2022 That leaves Juanico, who is 66 years old and now can barely crest the slope at her ancestral home overlooking bluffs where explosions once raged without becoming short of breath, concerned for her own health. Eli Cahan, USA TODAY, 26 Aug. 2022 Waves in Orange County could reach up to 7 feet this weekend, while Los Angeles County waves are expected to crest at around 5 or 6 feet, officials said. Grace Tooheystaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2022 The Little Su at the Parks Highway in Houston rose into moderate flood stage at 1 p.m. Tuesday with water levels expected to crest Tuesday night. Anchorage Daily News, 10 Aug. 2022 But some waterways were not expected to crest until today. Arkansas Online, 31 July 2022 Parts of eastern Kentucky received between 8-10.5 inches over 48 hours, but some waterways were not expected to crest until Saturday. Julia Musto, Fox News, 31 July 2022 See More
Noun
Head up and over the crest of the Peru Peak Wilderness. Kristin Smith, Outside Online, 31 Aug. 2022 The National Weather Service illustrates here how the water level is rising, showing the crest is right at the major flood level stage. Jay Croft, CNN, 26 Aug. 2022 According to the National Weather Service, the Kentucky River crested at a record 48.74 feet - a full foot over the crest of the Great Flood of 1937. Jason Gonzalez, The Courier-Journal, 1 May 2010 Helping highlight this is the Porsche crest on the hood. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 26 Aug. 2022 Aside from the one-piece crest grille embossed with diagonal lines to mimic the nose of the gasser G80, there's really no telling the two apart from the front. Car and Driver, 18 Aug. 2022 The general secretary was up to code: white trousers, blue blazer, club crest over the heart. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 18 July 2022 The reservoir appeared behind a berm, formerly the crest of a valley. Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2022 Can a new trail help revive this crest of the Sierra? Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2022 Verb
The Pearl River is expected to crest at 35.5 feet, just shy of the major flood stage level of 36 feet. Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 31 Aug. 2022 Officials say the state's Pearl River is predicted to crest at 35.5 feet this morning, lower than previously anticipated but still high enough to flood streets. Alexandra Meeks, CNN, 29 Aug. 2022 It is expected to crest at 36 feet on Monday, August 29th in Jackson. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 29 Aug. 2022 That leaves Juanico, who is 66 years old and now can barely crest the slope at her ancestral home overlooking bluffs where explosions once raged without becoming short of breath, concerned for her own health. Eli Cahan, USA TODAY, 26 Aug. 2022 Waves in Orange County could reach up to 7 feet this weekend, while Los Angeles County waves are expected to crest at around 5 or 6 feet, officials said. Grace Tooheystaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2022 The Little Su at the Parks Highway in Houston rose into moderate flood stage at 1 p.m. Tuesday with water levels expected to crest Tuesday night. Anchorage Daily News, 10 Aug. 2022 But some waterways were not expected to crest until today. Arkansas Online, 31 July 2022 Parts of eastern Kentucky received between 8-10.5 inches over 48 hours, but some waterways were not expected to crest until Saturday. Julia Musto, Fox News, 31 July 2022 See More 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
Kids Definition
crest
noun
ˈkrest
1
: a showy growth (as of flesh or feathers) on the head of an animal
2
: the highest part or point of something
the crest of the wave
the crest of a hill
3
: an emblem or design used to represent a family, group, or organization
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 crestal
adjective
as in apical
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- apical
- meridian
- crowning
- highest
- culminating
- apogean
- climactic
- high
- apocalyptic
- climacteric
- crossover
- critical
- crucial
- watershed
- fateful
- apocalyptical
- payoff
- epochal
- vital
- pivotal
- earthshaking
- momentous
- cataclysmic
- cataclysmal
- life-or-death
- life-and-death
- decisive
- deciding
- go-no-go
- make-or-break
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- noncritical
- anticlimactical
- unimportant
- trivial
- anticlimactic
- insignificant
- inconsequential
- indecisive