ppl. a.
1. With drooping crest; hence, cast down in confidence, spirits or courage; humbled, abashed, disheartened, dispirited, dejected.
1589. Pappe w. Hatchet, D iv b. O how meager and leane hee lookt, so creast falne, that his combe hung downe to his bill.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., IV. i. 59. Let it make thee Crest-falne, I, and alay this thy abortiue Pride.
1668. Marvell, Corr., cv. Wks. 1872–5, II. 264. He is is here a kind of decrepit young gentleman and terribly crest-falln.
1860. Thackeray, Four Georges, iii. (1861), 117. Slinking back into the club somewhat crestfallen after his beating.
2. Of a horse: see quot. 1725.
1696. Lond. Gaz., No. 3217/4. A grey Gelding … black mane and tail, and a little Crest-fallen.
1725. Bradley, Fam. Dict., Crestfallen, a Distemper in Horses, when the Part on which the Main grows, which is the upper Part thereof, and call’d the Crest, hangs either to one Side or the other, and does not stand upright as it ought to do.
Hence Crestfallenly adv., Crestfallenness.
1844. Coventry Standard, 30 Aug., 2/4. They will be likely to suffer some of that crest-fallenness which is always promotive of moderation on the part of noisy boasters.
1858. Lytton, What will He do? (1859), II. IV. i. 4. Everywhere that ineffable aspect of crestfallenness!
1869. Grey River Argus, 1 April, 2/1. M‘Laren and his would-be troublesome friends crest-fallenly departed.
