I. crest 1 /krest/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: creste , from Latin crista ]
1 . the top or highest point of something such as a hill or a wave
crest of
It took us over an hour to reach the crest of the hill.
2 . a special picture that is used as a sign of a family, town, school, or organization ⇨ coat of arms
school/family crest
3 . a group of feathers that stick up on the top of a bird’s head:
exotic birds with colourful crests
4 . a decoration of long bright feathers that soldiers wore in the past on top of their hats
5 . be on/riding the crest of a wave to be very successful:
a young film director who is on the crest of a wave at the moment
II. crest 2 BrE AmE verb
[transitive] formal to reach the top of a hill or mountain:
They crested a wooded hill shortly before sunset.