Part 655

Crest"ing, n. (Arch.) An ornamental finish on the top of a wall or ridge of a roof.

Crest"less, a. Without a crest or escutcheon; of low birth. "Crestless yeomen." Shak.

Cre*syl"ic (kr&esl;*s&ibreve;l"&ibreve;k), a. [From Creosote.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived from, cresol, creosote, etc.

Cresylic acid. (Chem.) See Cresol.

Cre*ta"ceous (kr&esl;*tā"shŭs), a. [L. cretaceus, fr. creta chalk. See Crayon.] Having the qualities of chalk; abounding with chalk; chalky; as, cretaceous rocks and formations. See Chalk.

Cretaceous acid, an old name for carbonic acid. -- Cretaceous formation (Geol.), the series of strata of various kinds, including beds of chalk, green sand, etc., formed in the Cretaceous period; -- called also the chalk formation. See the Diagram under Geology. -- Cretaceous period (Geol.), the time in the latter part of the Mesozoic age during which the Cretaceous formation was deposited.

Cre*ta"ceous*ly, adv. In a chalky manner; as chalk.

Cre"tan (krē"tan), a. Pertaining to Crete, or Candia. -- n. A native or inhabitant of Crete or Candia.

Crete (krēt), n. [L. Cres, Cretis.] A Cretan

Cre"tian (krē"shan), a. & n. See Cretan.

Cre"tic (krē"t&ibreve;k), n. [L. Creticus (sc. pes foot), Gr. Kritiko`s (sc. poy`s foot), prop., a Cretan (metrical) foot.] (Gr. & Lat. Pros.) A poetic foot, composed of one short syllable between two long ones (- ⌣ -). Bentley.

Cre"ti*cism (-t&ibreve;*s&ibreve;z'm), n. Falsehood; lying; cretism.

Cre"tin (krē"t&ibreve;n), n. [F. crÚtin; of uncertain origin.] One afflicted with cretinism.

Cre"tin*ism (krē"t&ibreve;n*&ibreve;z'm), n. [F. crÚtinisme.] A condition of endemic or inherited idiocy, accompanied by physical degeneracy and deformity (usually with goiter), frequent in certain mountain valleys, esp. of the Alps.

Cre"tin*ous (-ŭs), a. Having the characteristics of a cretin. "Cretinous stupefaction." Ruskin.

Cre"tism (krē"t&ibreve;z'm), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?; lying, fr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?; to act like a Cretan, that is, to lie. "The Cretians are always liars." Titus i. 12.] A Cretan practice; lying; a falsehood.

Cre*tonne" (kr?-t?n"), n. [F., gr. Creton, its first manufacturer.] 1. A strong white fabric with warp of hemp and weft of flax.

2. A fabric with cotton warp and woolen weft.

3. A kind of chintz with a glossy surface.

Cre"tose (kr?"t?s), a. [L. cretosus, fr. creta chalk.] Chalky; cretaceous. [Obs.] Ash.

Creut"zer (kroit"s&etilde;r) n. See Kreutzer.

||Creux (kr?), n. [F., adj., hollow, n., a hollow.] Used in English only in the expression en creux. Thus, engraving en creux is engraving in intaglio, or by sinking or hollowing out the design.

||Cre`val*le" (kr?`v?l-l?"), n. [Prob. of same origin as cavally. See Cavally.] (Zo÷l.) (a) The cavally or jurel. See Cavally, and Jurel. (b) The pompano (Trachynotus Carolinus).

||Cre`vasse" (kr?`v?s"), n. [F. See Crevice.] 1. A deep crevice or fissure, as in embankment; one of the clefts or fissure by which the mass of a glacier is divided.

2. A breach in the levee or embankment of a river, caused by the pressure of the water, as on the lower Mississippi. [U.S.]

Crev"et (kr?v"?t), n. [Cf. Creut.] A crucible or melting pot; a cruset. Crabb.

Crev"ice (kr?v"?s), n. [OE. crevace, crevice. F. crevasse, fr. crever to break, burst, fr. L. crepare to crack,break. Cf. Craven, Crepitate, Crevasse.] A narrow opening resulting from a split or crack or the separation of a junction; a cleft; a fissure; a rent.

The mouse, Behind the moldering wainscot, shrieked, Or from the crevice peered about. Tennyson.