crescent

Cres·cent

Use crescent in a sentence

adjective

Crescent is defined as something with a half-moon or arc shape.
The waning moon is an example of something that would be described as a crescent moon.

noun

The definition of a crescent is a half-moon or arc shape.
1. A curved French croissant is an example of something that is in the shape of a crescent.
2. A curved moon is an example of a crescent shape.

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MLA Style

"crescent." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 11 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Crescent>.

APA Style

crescent. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Crescent

crescent

a phase of a planet or a moon, when it appears to have one concave edge and one convex edge, esp., of the moon just after new moon (waxing crescent) or just before new moon (waning crescent)
a figure of or like the moon in either of these phases
anything shaped more or less like this, specif.,
1. a curved roll or bun
2. a residential street or part of a street
Origin of crescent
in allusion to the crescent emblem of Turkey
[alsoC-]
1. Turkish or Muslim power
2. a figure or symbol shaped like a crescent, that represents Turkey or Islam

Origin of crescent

altered (infl. by L) from Middle English cressaunt from Old French creissant, present participle of creistre, to increase from Classical Latin crescere, to come forth, grow, inchoative of creare: see create

Old Poet. increasing; growing
shaped like a crescent

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MLA Style

"crescent." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 11 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Crescent>.

APA Style

crescent. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Crescent

crescent

noun

The figure of the moon as it appears before its first quarter phase or after its third quarter phase, with concave and convex edges terminating in points.
a. A curved street.
b. A curved block of buildings, especially row houses, forming a continuous facade.
A curved pastry.

adjective

Crescent-shaped.
Waxing, as the moon approaching its first quarter phase; increasing.

Origin of crescent

Middle English cressaunt from Anglo-Norman variant of Old French creissant from present participle of creistre to grow from Latin crēscere ; see ker-² in Indo-European roots.

Related Forms:

cres·cen′tic
adjective

Crescent

A trademark for an adjustable open-end wrench.

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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MLA Style

"crescent." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 11 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Crescent>.

APA Style

crescent. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Crescent

Partly but less than half illuminated. Used to describe the Moon or a planet.

Compare gibbous

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Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"crescent." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 11 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Crescent>.

APA Style

crescent. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Crescent

Noun

(plural crescents)

The figure of the moon as it appears in its first or last quarter, with concave and convex edges terminating in points.
Something shaped like a crescent, especially:
1. A curved pastry.
2. A curved street, often presenting a continuous façade, as of row houses.
(Islam) A representation of the symbol used by Islamic caliphates
(New Zealand) A crescent spanner.
(historical) Any of three orders of knighthood conferred upon foreigners to whom Turkey might be indebted for valuable services.
(heraldry) The emblem of the waxing Moon with horns directed upward, when used in a coat of arms; often used as a mark of cadency to distinguish a second son and his descendants.
A crescentspot butterfly.

Adjective

(not comparable)

(dated, rare) marked by an increase; waxing, like the Moon.
Shaped like a crescent.

Verb

(third-person singular simple present crescents, present participle crescenting, simple past and past participle crescented)

To form into a crescent, or something resembling a crescent.
To adorn with crescents.

Origin

From Anglo-Norman cressaunt, from Old French creissant (“crescent of the moon”) (French croissant), from Latin crēscēns, present active participle of crēscō (“arise, thrive”), from Proto-Indo-European *ker (“to grow”). See Old Armenian սերիմ (serim, “be born”) and սերեմ (serem, “bring forth”), Ancient Greek κόρη (korē, “girl”) and κούρος (kouros, “boy”), Latin creare (“produce, create, bring forth”) and Ceres (“goddess of agriculture”).