Definition

1. Noun:
   • A long narrow opening or fissure, especially in a rock or wall: A crevice is a narrow crack, gap, or split in a hard surface, often formed by natural processes like erosion or stress.
   • A long narrow depression or groove in a surface: This meaning refers to a shallow, elongated indentation or furrow.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • A small plant was growing in the crevice of the ancient stone wall.
  • The hiker carefully avoided placing his foot in the deep crevice in the cliff face.
  • Over centuries, water widened the crevice in the canyon floor.

Advanced Usage

• "To fill/plug a crevice": To seal or close a narrow opening.
  • They used special sealant to fill the crevice and prevent water leakage.
• "A crevice in time/thought" (figurative): A rare, poetic usage suggesting a narrow gap or opening in an abstract concept.
  • The memory came to her in a sudden crevice in her busy day.

Variants and Related Words

• Creviced (adj): Having crevices; marked by cracks or fissures.
  • The creviced landscape was difficult to traverse.
• Crevicular (adj): Pertaining to or resembling a crevice (often used in biological/medical contexts, e.g., crevicular fluid in dentistry).

Synonyms

• Fissure: A long, narrow opening or crack, often deeper than a crevice.
• Crack: A line on the surface of something where it has split but not broken apart.
• Cleft: A split or division, especially one caused by splitting.
• Chink: A narrow opening, typically one that admits light.
• Cranny: A small, narrow space or opening.

Related Phrases

• "Every nook and cranny": This common idiom meaning "everywhere" or "every small space" is semantically related, with "cranny" being a close synonym of crevice.
  • She searched every nook and cranny for her lost keys.

Notes on Meaning

• Primary vs. Secondary Meaning: The primary meaning is a narrow opening in a hard surface (e.g., rock, wall). The secondary meaning of a "depression" is less common and often overlaps with words like "furrow" or "groove."
• Scale: A crevice is typically larger than a hairline crack but smaller than a chasm or gorge. It implies a space that is long and narrow, often with some depth.

Noun

1. a long narrow opening
2. a long narrow depression in a surface