MEANING
Having a hard or firm outer layer over softer material.
Use it for
Frozen-over snow, dried mud, and thin surface layers.Contrast a resistant skin with what lies below it.
Words that belong together
- crusty snow
- crusty soil
- crusty surface
On the page
Crusty snow broke beneath each step.
The soil was crusty on top but moist underneath.
He lifted a crusty sheet of dried mud from the puddle's edge.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- crusty
Usage notes
Primary category: environment. A physical surface sense; does not imply the whole object is hard. The irritable-person sense is separate. Comparative: crustier; superlative: crustiest. Related noun: crust.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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