(~s)
1.
The ~ on a loaf of bread is the outside part.
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2.
A pie’s ~ is its cooked pastry.
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3.
A ~ is a hard layer of something, especially on top of a softer or wetter substance.
As the water evaporates, a ~ of salt is left on the surface of the soil.
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4.
The earth’s ~ is its outer layer.
Earthquakes leave scars in the earth’s ~.
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5.
see also upper ~