crescent

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noun

cres·​cent ˈkre-sᵊnt How to pronounce crescent (audio)
1
a
: the moon at any stage between new moon and first quarter and between last quarter and the succeeding new moon when less than half of the illuminated hemisphere is visible
b
: the figure of the moon at such a stage defined by a convex (see convex sense 1a) and a concave (see concave entry 1 sense 2) edge
2
: something shaped like a crescent
The crescent is used as the symbol of Islam.
crescentic adjective

crescent

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adjective

: marked by an increase : increasing
"My powers are crescent … "William Shakespeare

Crescent

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trademark

Cres·​cent ˈkre-sᵊnt How to pronounce Crescent (audio)
used for an adjustable open-end wrench

Did you know?

You probably know "crescent" as the shape of a moon that is less than half-illuminated. These days, "crescent" is generally used of either a waxing or waning moon, but that wasn't always the case. Originally, it referred only to the increasing illumination phase that immediately follows the new moon. That original meaning nicely reflects the meaning of the word's Latin ancestor crescere, which means "to grow." The meaning of "crescere" also shines through when we use "crescent" as an adjective meaning "increasing" or "growing." English speakers have been using "crescent" in this way since the 16th century.

Examples of crescent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Islam’s holiest month begins with the sighting of the first crescent after the new moon. Sufian Taha, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 Prepare crescent rolls: Unroll crescent roll dough, and separate each roll along perforations. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2024 The little spaces will project a grid of small images on the ground that, during the partial phases of a solar eclipse, will reveal the sun's crescent shape. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2024 Rather than being completely obscured, the sun will appear as a crescent shape. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024 The timing of Ramadan follows the lunar cycle and is dependent on the sighting of a crescent moon at the first and end of the month. The Arizona Republic, 19 Feb. 2024 Cut each crescent in half and top with any remaining bacon. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2024 There are few other interesting celestial events to watch out for, including a waxing crescent moon in Gemini, and Venus and Mars appearing to pass close to each other. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024 Complete with sugar, cinnamon, marshmallows, and hot-from-the-oven crescent rolls, this recipe is an instant crowd pleaser. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Off in the southwest, the last colors of sunset lit up the rim of the sky, as a crescent Moon and two planets lined up above. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 25 Jan. 2023 Miley's left arm features a few small permanent drawings, including a crescent moon and tributes to her pets, Pablow (her deceased fish) and Emu (her sheepdog). Yerin Kim, Seventeen, 20 Jan. 2023 The Perseids range from July 17–August 24, and have to compete only with a crescent moon. Manasee Wagh, Popular Mechanics, 18 Jan. 2023 The statue depicts actor Elizabeth Montgomery – as lead character Samantha Stephens in the 1960s sitcom – sitting on a broomstick in front of a crescent moon. From Usa Today Network and Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 23 Sep. 2022 On the reverse is a crescent moon plus a starlike sun. Richard Jakiel, Discover Magazine, 26 June 2019 In a watercolor done in 1790, it has been fashioned into crescent shapes that resemble a pair of rams’ horns that meet in a bulbous clump in the center of her brow. Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2023 Along the great crescent sweep of the river, smoke billowed from the pyres that burn night and day. Roger Cohen Mauricio Lima, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2022 Line bottom of pan with one package of crescent dinner rolls. al, 20 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crescent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latinization of Middle English cressant, cressaunt, borrowed from Anglo-French, noun derivative from present participle of creistre "to increase, grow," going back to Latin crēscere "to come into existence, increase in size or numbers," perhaps going back to Indo-European *kreh1- "become stronger, increase," whence also Slavic *krějǫ, *krějati (whence Old Czech křáti, kříti "to recover, regain strength," Russian dialect krejátʼ "to convalesce, get well," Ukrainian krijáty "to regain strength," Bulgarian kréja "weaken, wither"—sense perhaps by loss of an earlier privative prefix)

Note: Latin crēscere and creāre (see create entry 1) have traditionally been linked to Indo-European *ḱerh3- "feed, satisfy" (see ceres), but this has recently been questioned on both morphological and semantic grounds. Cf. Michiel de Vaan, Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the Other Italic Languages, Leiden, 2008; Oleg Trubačev, Ètimologičeskij slovarʼ slavjanskix jazykov: praslavjanskij leksičeskij fond, Vypusk 12 (Moscow, 1985), pp. 130-31; and in particular Eugen Hill, "Lateinisch crēscō 'wachsen' etymologisch: urslavisch *krějǫ 'genesen', litauisch šeriù 'füttern' oder armenisch serem 'erzeugen'?", International Journal of Diachronic Linguistics and Linguistic Reconstruction, vol. 3 (2006), pp. 187-209, where the issues are thoroughly discussed.

Adjective

borrowed from Latin crēscent-, crescēns, present participle of crēscere "to come into existence, increase in size or numbers" — more at crescent entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1574, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of crescent was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near crescent

Cite this Entry

“Crescent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crescent. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

crescent

noun
cres·​cent
ˈkres-ᵊnt
1
: the shape of the visible moon during about the first week after a new moon or the last week before the next new moon
2
: a curved figure that tapers to two points like a crescent moon
3
: something shaped like a crescent

Medical Definition

crescent

noun
cres·​cent ˈkres-ᵊnt How to pronounce crescent (audio)
1
: a crescent-shaped anatomical structure or section
2
: the gametocyte of the falciparum malaria parasite that is shaped like a crescent and constitutes a distinguishing character of malignant tertian malaria

More from Merriam-Webster on crescent

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