crustiness

1 4.6

A hard dry outer layer on things like bread or skin

noun
/ˈkrʌstɪnəs/

: corteza

The plain fajita taco retains its slight crustiness, which adds to its overall texture.
retains its crustiness

Examples

In a place where birth, accent, and clothing will not give one the upper crustiness, stuff will, but only if it is displayed.

Blog text (26)
The baguette from the bakery had a delightful crustiness that made it perfect for sandwiches.
Her skin showed signs of crustiness from the dry winter air, prompting her to use more moisturizer.

Synonyms

crust

vscrustiness

91 1.1

A hard outer layer that forms on things like bread or dried mud

refers to the quality of having such a hard outer layer

crispness

vscrustiness

2 2.8

Firm, fresh quality that makes food break easily, like an apple

focuses on a dry outer layer rather than overall firmness

crispiness

vscrustiness

1 2.5

A firm, easily broken texture that feels pleasant when you bite food

applies to a hard dry outer surface rather than general texture

crunchiness

vscrustiness

1 3.8

A firm texture that makes a crisp sound when you bite it

refers to a hard dry outer surface rather than emphasis on sound

Antonyms

smoothness

5 1.9

An even surface without rough parts

softness

4 1.1

A thing that is easy to press or cut, like dough

How Crusty

encrustation

1 7.5

crustiness

1 4.6

smoothness

5 1.9

Surface Forms

crustiness singular

crustinesses plural

Morphology

crustiness = crusty (transparent) = crust + y + ness

Formed regularly from 'crust' -> 'crusty' -> 'crustiness'; each derivational step is predictable and the meaning follows directly from the base.

Etymology

The word crustiness comes from crust, which itself comes from the old Latin word crusta meaning 'shell' or 'rind'. So, crustiness is the state of having a hard outer layer, like the crust of bread, and by extension being a little rough or grumpy on the outside.