Main Entry: ¹cres·cent

Pronunciation: \ˈkre-s^ənt\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English cressant, from Anglo-French, from present participle of crestre to grow, increase, from Latin crescere; akin to Old High German hirsi millet, Lithuanian šerti to feed, Greek koros boy

Date: 15th century

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 and a concave edge
2 : something shaped like a crescent

— cres·cen·tic \kre-ˈsen-tik, krə-\ adjective