A crust is a hard layer of something, especially on top of a softer or wetter substance.
As the water evaporates, a crust of salt is left on the surface of the soil. [+ of]
Synonyms: layer, covering, coating, incrustation More Synonyms of crust
4. countable noun
The Earth's crust is its outer layer.
Earthquakes leave scars in the Earth's crust.
5.
See to earn a crust
6. See also upper crust
More Synonyms of crust
crust in British English
(krʌst)
noun
1.
a.
the hard outer part of bread
b.
a piece of bread consisting mainly of this
2.
the baked shell of a pie, tart, etc
3.
any hard or stiff outer covering or surface
a crust of ice
4.
the solid outer shell of the earth, with an average thickness of 30–35 km in continental regions and 5 km beneath the oceans, forming the upper part of the lithosphere and lying immediately above the mantle, from which it is separated by the Mohorovičić discontinuity
See also sial, sima
5.
the dry covering of a skin sore or lesion; scab
6.
a layer of acid potassium tartrate deposited by some wine, esp port, on the inside of the bottle
7.
the hard outer layer of such organisms as lichens and crustaceans
8. slang
impertinence
9. British, Australian and New Zealand slang
a living (esp in the phrase earn a crust)
verb
10.
to cover with or acquire a crust
11.
to form or be formed into a crust
Word origin
C14: from Latin crūsta hard surface, rind, shell
crust in American English
(krʌst)
noun
1.
a.
the hard, crisp outer part of bread
b.
a piece of this
c.
any dry, hard piece of bread
2.
the pastry shell of a pie
3.
any hard surface layer, as of snow or soil
4.
a hard deposit formed by wine on the inside surface of a bottle
5. Slang
audacity; insolence; gall
6. Geology
the solid, rocky outer portion or shell of the earth; lithosphere
7. Medicine
a dry, hard outer layer of blood, pus, or other bodily secretion
verb transitive, verb intransitive
8.
to cover or become covered with a crust
9.
to form or harden into a crust
Word origin
ME cruste < OFr or L: OFr crouste < L crusta: for IE base see crude
More idioms containing
crust
earn a crust
Examples of 'crust' in a sentence
crust
All the extras have grey hair and a thick crust of spores and fungal matter on their face.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The watchdog wants to clarify public awareness of how these sites earn their crust and will look into whether they truly benefit consumers.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The tedium of earning a crust:'Have to work today.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This is the only tome you need to join the upper crust.
The Sun (2015)
Using steam in the ovens gives a loaf a darker crust.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It also forms a crust over the cut and that will keep out infection.
The Sun (2016)
Its chemistry is the bottom line for oceanic crust.
Richard Fortey THE EARTH: An Intimate History (2004)
Think of it as a lava pool covered with a crust of rock.
Zindell, David The Broken God (1993)
There was a time when rugby greats earned their crusts in towns like this.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
They may crust on the surface of the skin or bleed.
Laszlo, John (MD) Understanding Cancer (1987)
The pudding will swell through the sauce to make a moist sponge with a thin crust.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
As it grew colder the crust became thicker and began to cut like a knife.
Christianity Today (2000)
Encourage a good brown upper crust with more coals on top in the final minutes.
Cameron, Kenneth M Into Africa - a social history of the East African Safari (1989)
Remove the beef from the oven and cover the crust with a double layer of foil.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The elements are too hostile for farming so they seek other ways to earn a crust.
The Sun (2010)
How long will it take for the thin crust of civilisation to follow suit?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The turnover of the oceanic crust also means that much of the earth above the core is recycled.
Richard Fortey THE EARTH: An Intimate History (2004)
Turn when a crust forms, use a metal spatula to turn.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
It is still cooling and many miles below, the hard crust is still hot.
Chapman, C. & Horsley, M. & Small, E. Technology Basic Facts (1990)
It discovered that Europa has a vast ocean beneath a thick crust of ice.
The Sun (2010)
We can't see the upper crusts reclaiming the phrase any time soon.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Let them brown and form a crust before turning, adjusting the heat to avoid burning.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It is one of the commoner elements in the earth 's crust and indeed in our own bodies.
Wills, Christopher The Runaway Brain: the Evolution of Human Uniqueness (1993)
My brother makes mayonnaise and then keeps it uncovered in the fridge until there's a hairy grey crust on the surface.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Pakistan is susceptible to earthquakes as it sits on moving parts of the Earth 's crust.
The Sun (2015)
In places, slivers of oceanic crust were pushed upwards, rather than downwards.
Richard Fortey THE EARTH: An Intimate History (2004)
In other languages
crust
British English: crust NOUN
The crust on a loaf of bread is the outside part.
Cut the crusts off the bread.
American English: crust
Brazilian Portuguese: crosta
Chinese: 面包皮
European Spanish: corteza
French: croûte
German: Kruste
Italian: crosta
Japanese: パンの耳
Korean: 빵 껍질
European Portuguese: crosta
Latin American Spanish: corteza
Chinese translation of 'crust'
crust
(krʌst)
n(c)
(on bread, pastry) 皮 (pí)
(on snow, ice) 硬表层(層) (yìng biǎocéng)
the earth's crust地壳(殼) (dìqiào)
1 (noun)
Definition
the hard outer part of bread
pieces of broken biscuit and hard crusts of bread
Synonyms
heel
the heel of a loaf of bread
end
2 (noun)
Definition
any hard outer layer
As the water evaporates, a crust of salt is left on the surface of the soil.
Synonyms
layer
A fresh layer of snow covered the street.
covering
Sawdust was used as a hygienic floor covering.
coating
We put on the second coating of lacquer.
incrustation
film
The sea is coated with a film of sewage.
outside
the outside of the building
Grill until the outsides are browned.
skin
Stir the custard occasionally to prevent a skin forming.
surface
The road surface had started breaking up.
shell
coat
The front door needs a new coat of paint.
caking
scab
concretion
3 (noun)
In the old days, he would do almost anything to earn a crust.
Synonyms
living
He earns his living doing all kinds of things.
income
livelihood
fishermen who depend on the seas for their livelihood.
subsistence
Up to £350,000 has been spent on travel and subsistence.