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
Synonyms
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
Richard Meyer, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025
Doctors would need to insert two needles into her pelvis — her iliac crest bone — and pull as much bone marrow liquid as needed since Vida's would safely regenerate.
—Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 27 Jan. 2025
Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 22 Jan. 2025
As a force-of-nature newcomer vying for a big-screen break, Margot Robbie is all frantic energy, while Brad Pitt deploys his star wattage to great effect playing a famous leading man just cresting the peak of his career and starting on the way down.
—Kevin Lincoln, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for crest 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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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 style of the shoes was frequently misaligned with the gender of the celebrity—Judy Garland, for example, was represented by a male cowboy boot with a feather and foil crest, while Truman Capote was awarded a woman’s shoe decorated with flowering vines.
—Richard Meyer, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025
Doctors would need to insert two needles into her pelvis — her iliac crest bone — and pull as much bone marrow liquid as needed since Vida's would safely regenerate.
—Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 27 Jan. 2025
Verb
However, even before the election of Trump, the DEI movement appeared to have crested.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 22 Jan. 2025
As a force-of-nature newcomer vying for a big-screen break, Margot Robbie is all frantic energy, while Brad Pitt deploys his star wattage to great effect playing a famous leading man just cresting the peak of his career and starting on the way down.
—Kevin Lincoln, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for crest
Dictionary Entries Near crest
Cite this Entry
“Crest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crest. Accessed 8 Feb. 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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