crescent

noun cres·cent \ ˈkre-sᵊnt \

|Updated on: 28 Jul 2018

Definition of crescent

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 1a) and a concave (see ¹concave 2) edge

2 : something shaped like a crescent

The crescent is used as the symbol of Islam.

—

crescentic

play \kre-ˈsen-tik, krə-\ adjective

See crescent defined for English-language learners

See crescent defined for kids

crescent was our Word of the Day on 06/26/2009. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of crescent from the Web

Soak in the view or meander down to the crescent-moon shaped beach and chill.

— gregory thomas, SFChronicle.com, "One Day, One Place: Half Moon Bay harbor," 11 July 2018
In 2016, 41 percent of the city's accidents involving pedestrians and vehicles occurred in the crescent neighborhoods.

— steve harrison and gavin off, charlotteobserver, "Residents say a death 'has to happen for the city to make changes.' They may be right.," 19 June 2018
Juicy roast beef and sharp provolone cheese are stuffed into crescent roll dough and baked into golden-brown bombs.

— robin miller, azcentral, "Have a date with Netflix? Easy, healthy finger food recipes to get you through binge-worthy shows," 11 Apr. 2018
When throwing a family-friendly Halloween party, cook up some witchy foods: Bake halfway rolled-out crescent rolls to resemble witches’ hats.

— mali anderson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Ideas for celebrating Halloween with kids: From the not-so-scary to the downright spooky," 16 Oct. 2017
Venus will be right above the crescent moon on July 15.

— richard tribou, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Mars in opposition highlight of July's night sky," 3 July 2018
With an orange crescent moon and the nostalgic glow of the Fox Theatre behind them, the Jacksons lit up a stage in downtown Detroit Saturday night.

— brian mccollum, Detroit Free Press, "Jacksons overcome technical woes to sparkle at Detroit Music Weekend," 17 June 2018
They are known as moon bears because of a white marking on their chests, roughly in the shape of a crescent moon.

— author: simon denyer, Anchorage Daily News, "From hemorrhoids to hangovers: Bear bile is treasured in China, and that’s bad for captive bears," 3 June 2018
As dusk settles in, look for a pretty pairing of the waxing crescent moon and the brilliant blue star Regulus setting in the west.

— National Geographic, "Naked-Eye Asteroid and More Can't-Miss Sky Events in June," 1 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crescent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of crescent

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Other Astronomy Terms

gibbous, nadir, nebulous, penumbra, retrograde, sidereal, syzygy, wane, wax, zenith

crescent

adjective

Definition of crescent

: marked by an increase : increasing

"My powers are crescent … "
—William Shakespeare

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.

Origin and Etymology of crescent

Latin crescent-, crescens, present participle of crescere — see ¹crescent

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1574

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Crescent

trademark Cres·cent \ ˈkre-sᵊnt \

Definition of Crescent

—used for an adjustable open-end wrench

CRESCENT Defined for English Language Learners

crescent

noun

Definition of crescent for English Language Learners

: the shape of the visible part of the moon when it is less than half full
: a shape that is curved, wide at its center, and pointed at its two ends like a crescent moon

CRESCENT Defined for Kids

crescent

noun cres·cent \ ˈkre-sᵊnt \

Definition of crescent for Students

1 : the shape of the visible part of the moon when it is less than half full

2 : something shaped like a crescent moon

crescent

adjective

Definition of crescent for Students

: shaped like the crescent moon

crescent rolls

Medical Dictionary

crescent

noun cres·cent \ ˈkres-ᵊnt \

medical Definition of crescent

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