# crepe

Pronunciation: say "KRAYP" /kɹeɪp/

## Noun

1. A thin, round, flat pancake made with wheat flour, originally from Lower Brittany in France.
   - Simple: A very thin, flat pancake from a region of France, made with wheat flour.
   - _The cafe folds each crepe around lemon and sugar before serving._
   - _She whisked the batter until it was thin enough for delicate crepes._
2. A soft, thin, light fabric whose surface has a fine crinkled texture.
   - Simple: A soft, light cloth with a wrinkled, bumpy surface.
   - _The designer chose black crepe for the gown because the fabric drapes so well._
   - _Her blouse of pale silk crepe shimmered under the stage lights._
3. Thin tissue paper with a crinkled, stretchy texture, commonly used for streamers and party decorations.
   - Simple: Thin paper with many small wrinkles, often used for party decorations.
   - _The committee draped the gym in orange and black crepe for the homecoming dance._
   - _Streamers of pink crepe sagged in the humid air before the guests arrived._
4. Rubber formed into sheets, used especially for the soles of shoes.
   - Simple: A type of rubber made in flat sheets, used mostly for the bottoms of shoes.
   - _The bootmaker prefers crepe for work shoes because it absorbs shock so well._
   - _Desert boots traditionally come with soles of pale crepe._
5. A white card announcing a death, mounted on black crepe paper or cloth and put up on the door of a house or business. *(Ireland)*
   - Simple: A white card on black paper or cloth, hung on a door to show that someone has died.
   - _Coming up the lane after Mass, she saw a crepe on the Brennans' front door and knew old Tom had passed._
   - _The pub stayed shut for the publican's wake, with a crepe on the door and the blinds drawn._

## Verb

6. To cover or drape something in crepe.
   - Simple: To cover or decorate something with crepe paper or cloth.
   - _Each spring the seniors crepe the courtyard trees as a graduation prank._
   - _Mourners creped the doorway in black after the senator's death._
7. To crease paper so that it takes on the wrinkled look of crepe paper.
   - Simple: To press small wrinkles into paper so it looks like crepe paper.
   - _The art teacher showed us how to crepe ordinary paper for the flower stems._
   - _The machine crepes each sheet as it comes off the dryer._
8. To frizz the hair, giving it a tightly crinkled texture.
   - Simple: To style hair into many small, tight waves or curls.
   - _Some stylists crepe the under-layers of hair to add volume before pinning it up._
   - _For the 1920s revue, the makeup team creped the actors' hair into stiff waves._

## Origin

Borrowed from French "crêpe", from Latin "crispus". It is a doublet of "crisp" and "crape".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/crepe (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).