crease

Where does the word "crease" come from? It comes from Latin crista, passing through Old French before entering English (1570s).

Crease’s story begins in Latin: crista meant “crest.” A tuft or crest. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as creste. A crest or ridge. It reached English by 1570s as crease. Altered from 'creaste': the ridge made by a fold; cricket's 'crease' dates from the 1750s. Today, crease means a line made by folding or pressing.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient crista "crest", a tuft or crest.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval creste "ridge", a crest or ridge.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1570s crease "fold line", altered from 'creaste': the ridge made by a fold; cricket's 'crease' dates from the 1750s.