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cre·vasse

(krĭ-văs)

1. A deep fissure, as in a glacier; a chasm.

2. A crack or breach in a dike or levee.

intr. & tr.v. cre·vassed, cre·vass·ing, cre·vass·es

To develop or cause to develop crevasses.

[French, from Old French crevace, crevice; see CREVICE.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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