Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A line made by pressing, folding, or wrinkling.
  • noun In hockey, an area marked in front of the goal in which an offensive player can score a goal only if the puck reaches the area before the player does.
  • noun In lacrosse, the circle marked around the goal into which offensive players cannot enter.
  • noun One of the lines in cricket marking off the positions of the bowler and batter or the space between two of these lines.
  • intransitive verb To make a pressed, folded, or wrinkled line in.
  • intransitive verb To graze or wound superficially with a bullet.
  • intransitive verb To become wrinkled.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To make a line or long thin mark in, as by folding, doubling, or indenting.
  • To indent, as a cartridge-case, for the purpose of confining the charge; crimp.
  • In hunting, to wound by a shot which flattens the upper vertebræ, or cuts the muscles of the neck, and stuns, but does not kill.
  • noun A line or long thin mark made by folding or doubling; hence, a similar mark, however produced.
  • noun Specifically, one of certain lines used in the game of cricket.
  • noun A split or rent.
  • noun A curved tile.
  • noun The top of a horse's neck.
  • noun Increase; profit.
  • To increase; grow.
  • To increase; augment.
  • noun A less common spelling of creese.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To make a crease or mark in, as by folding or doubling.
  • noun A line or mark made by folding or doubling any pliable substance; hence, a similar mark, however produced.
  • noun (Cricket) One of the lines serving to define the limits of the bowler and the striker.
  • noun (Lacrosse) The combination of four lines forming a rectangle inclosing either goal, or the inclosed space itself, within which no attacking player is allowed unless the ball is there; -- called also goal crease.
  • noun (Cricket) a line extending three feet four inches on each side of the central strings at right angles to the line between the wickets.
  • noun (Cricket) a short line at each end of the bowling crease and at right angles to it, extending toward the bowler.
  • noun (Cricket) , a line drawn in front of the wicket, four feet distant from it, parallel to the bowling crease and at least as long as the latter.
  • noun See creese.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A line or mark made by folding or doubling any pliable substance; hence, a similar mark, however produced.
  • noun cricket One of the white lines drawn on the pitch to show different areas of play; especially the popping crease, but also the bowling crease and the return crease.
  • noun lacrosse The circle around the goal, where no offensive players can go.
  • noun ice hockey The goal crease; an area in front of each goal, surrounded by thin red lines and filled in with light blue.
  • verb transitive To make a crease in; to wrinkle.
  • verb transitive To lightly bloody; to graze.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb become wrinkled or crumpled or creased
  • verb make wrinkles or creases on a smooth surface; make a pressed, folded or wrinkled line in
  • noun a slight depression in the smoothness of a surface
  • noun an angular or rounded shape made by folding
  • verb make wrinkled or creased
  • noun a Malayan dagger with a wavy blade
  • verb scrape gently

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Alteration of creaste, perhaps from Middle English creste, ridge; see crest.]

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Examples

Comments

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  • Cricket jargon - the areas around the wickets marked with white lines that indicate the extent of the batsman's safe territory (popping crease) and the area within which the bowler's feet must land when bowling a ball (bowling crease and return crease).

    November 30, 2007

  • Also an ice hockey and lacrosse term. :-)

    November 30, 2007

  • In stamp collecting, a noticeable weakening of the paper of a stamp or cover, caused by its being folded or bent at some point. Creases substantially lower a stamp's value.

    August 25, 2008

  • Cricket fans, listen to Roy Harper's 1970's song When an old Cricketer Leaves the Crease. You'll be glad you did, trust me.

    September 25, 2009

  • To make a line or long thin

    mark in,

    as by folding,

    doubling,

    or indenting.

    May 15, 2012

  • Thank you, fbharjo. I've added it to my hence list, too.

    May 15, 2012