Standard Lemma guide

crustose

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • UK: /ˈkɹʊs.təʊs/
  • US: /ˈkɹʊs.toʊs/

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of a lichen, growing tightly appressed to the substrate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: biology, botany, lichenology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective

Meaning 2

(of lichens) having a thin crusty thallus that adheres closely to the surface on which it is growing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • crustose lichens

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin crustōsus (“with a hard crust”).