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)
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
crested; cresting; crests
1
: to furnish with a crest
also
: crown
2
: to reach the crest of
crested the hill and looked around
: 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
Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 19 July 2025
Oakland County Road Commission spokeswoman Cindy Dingell said torrential rains in Oakland Township on Wednesday, July 16, caused Paint Creek to crest, overwhelming a culvert beneath Orion Road.
—Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 17 July 2025
Sophie Kaufman, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Flood warnings have also been issued for the areas of Camp Wood, Barksdale and Vance.
Evacuation orders were issued in Uvalde County as the Frio River is expected to crest 16 feet above normal, according to CBS affiliate KENS.
—Abigail Adams, People.com, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for crest
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
The incident occurred on the Col de Peyresourde mountain pass in the central Pyrenees, about 200 meters from the crest of the hill, according to Reuters.
—Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 19 July 2025
Oakland County Road Commission spokeswoman Cindy Dingell said torrential rains in Oakland Township on Wednesday, July 16, caused Paint Creek to crest, overwhelming a culvert beneath Orion Road.
—Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 17 July 2025
Verb
Riders earn points for cresting climbs in a top position and the higher the climb, the more points available at the top.
—Sophie Kaufman, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Flood warnings have also been issued for the areas of Camp Wood, Barksdale and Vance.
Evacuation orders were issued in Uvalde County as the Frio River is expected to crest 16 feet above normal, according to CBS affiliate KENS.
—Abigail Adams, People.com, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for crest
Cite this Entry
“Crest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crest. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
crest
1 of 2 noun1
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
adjective
ˈkres-təd
crest
2 of 2 verb1
: 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
noun1
: 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
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