What does crevassed mean?
"Crevassed" describes a surface—most often glacial ice—that is broken by crevasses, the deep, gaping fissures that form as moving glaciers stretch over uneven ground. It functions almost exclusively as an adjective, typically appearing in phrases such as "a heavily crevassed glacier" or "crevassed ice," and it carries strong connotations of danger and difficulty: for climbers, a crevassed route signals hidden hazards, unstable footing, and the need for ropes and careful probing. The term also appears more loosely to describe anything deeply cracked or fissured, though such figurative use is rare. Rooted in the same French source as "crevice," the word reflects the specialized vocabulary of alpine travel, where distinguishing smooth, safe snow from treacherous, fractured terrain can be a matter of survival. Its vividness makes it useful well beyond technical contexts whenever a landscape needs to be described as dangerously split apart.
adjectiveMarked by or full of crevasses — deep fissures or cracks, especially in a glacier's ice surface.
- (Of a glacier or ice field) containing many crevasses or deep fissures.
"The climbers roped together before crossing the heavily crevassed glacier."
"They spent hours probing the crevassed slope with their poles before trusting it."
"From above, the crevassed ice sheet looked like shattered blue glass."
A single hidden crevasse can swallow an entire climber — which is why mountaineers rope up across even mildly crevassed ice.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of crevassed
The word derives from "crevasse," borrowed into English in the early nineteenth century from French "crevasse," meaning a breach or crack. The French term traces back through Old French forms related to "crevice," both descending from the Latin verb "crepare," meaning to crack or burst. This shared root also yields English words like "crepitate" and "decrepit."
Related word forms
How crevassed is actually used
Almost always used attributively before nouns such as 'glacier', 'ice', or 'slope', often modified by intensifiers like 'heavily' or 'badly'. The word belongs mainly to the register of mountaineering and glaciology writing.
Easily confused with crevassed
A crevice is any narrow opening or crack in rock or other material, while 'crevassed' describes terrain specifically marked by crevasses, the large fissures found chiefly in glaciers.