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
Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Jan. 2025
One of Commander Denno’s early tasks was to draw up the ship’s crest — a heraldic design that would be part of the submarine’s identity.
—John Ismay, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 7 Jan. 2025
Over cocktails in the bow-facing Commodore Club on Deck 9, these off-season veterans cheered every time the boat crested a wave and slammed into the seas.
—Heather Steinberger, Robb Report, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for crest 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Kuo also recommends balancing winter elements with upscale details like family crests for old-world luxury.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Jan. 2025
One of Commander Denno’s early tasks was to draw up the ship’s crest — a heraldic design that would be part of the submarine’s identity.
—John Ismay, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
Those reports suggest that companies are continuing to invest heavily in AI, and the peak hasn’t yet been crested.
Investors are also looking forward to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote address at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show 2025, which will take place around 11 a.m.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 7 Jan. 2025
Over cocktails in the bow-facing Commodore Club on Deck 9, these off-season veterans cheered every time the boat crested a wave and slammed into the seas.
—Heather Steinberger, Robb Report, 22 Nov. 2024
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 19 Jan. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share