verb
encrust
en-KRUST/ɛnkrˈʌst/
Cover with a hard outer layer.
Salt crystals encrust the rocks along the edge of the pool.
Etymology
The pieces describe putting a crust upon something. The Latin verb already meant covering with a crust, so the modern sense preserves the image of a shell-like outer covering.
In context
They control the algae that encrust the coral, keeping the reef able to breathe.
More examples
- Dried mud encrusts his boots.
- Barnacles encrusted the hull of the old boat.
- Mineral deposits are encrusting the inside of the pipe.
Forms
encrust · encrusts · encrusted · encrusting
encrustation noun — A hard layer covering a surface.