crest

The story

1. Latin · derived fromcrista
2. Vulgar Latin · derived from*cresta
3. Old English · inherited fromcræsta“crest, tuft, plume”
4. Old French · derived fromcreste
5. Middle English · inherited fromcreste
6. English todaycrest

From Middle English creste, from Old French creste (modern French crête) and perhaps continuing Old English cræsta (“crest, tuft, plume”); both ultimately from Vulgar Latin *cresta, from Latin crista. Doublet of crista. The informal meaning “design, logo” (noun sense 11) stems from a misinterpretation of the heraldic noun sense 4, which specifically refers to the object placed on top of the helm.

Words from the same roots