crest

Everyday

1. A crest is a bunch of feathers, fur or skin on the top of an animal's head, like a cockatoo's crest or a rooster's comb. tree →
2. The crest of a hill or wave is its top. tree →
3. A crest is a special picture or badge of a family, school, team or town. tree →
4. To crest is to reach the top of a hill or wave. tree →
5. «On the crest of a wave» means very successful at the moment. tree →

In the lessons

In science, crests are animal features, and the crest of a wave is its highest point (the low point is the trough). In history, knights had family crests on shields; schools have crests on uniforms. In geography, the crest is the top of a ridge. Phrases: «school crest», «family crest», «crest of a wave», «crest the hill».

Examples

• The cockatoo raised its yellow crest. tree →
• We reached the crest of the hill and saw the sea. tree →
• Our school crest has a lion and a book on it. tree →
• The surfer rode the crest of the wave. tree →
• The knight's shield showed his family crest. tree →
• The river crested after days of rain. tree →
• In a wave, the crest is the top and the trough is the bottom. tree →
• How she lifts her crest, the ugly, spiteful creature! tree →

Note

Countable. In science problems about waves: the distance from one crest to the next is the wavelength; the height from the middle line to the crest is the amplitude. Related word: «crested» (having a crest).