crescent

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noun cres·cent \ ˈkre-sᵊnt \

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.

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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

That has proved deadly this summer in crowded waters like those near Singapore and Tokyo, where another U.S. warship, the USS Fitzgerald, was struck by a cargo freighter under a waning crescent moon June 17.

— hannah beech, The Seattle Times, "Avoiding detection may make some Navy ships vulnerable," 26 Aug. 2017
Not an abstraction or a casual observation about a rainy day or a crescent moon, but real: our actual physical presence in a solar system, and everything that that entails, implies and signifies.

— jeffrey lee puckett, The Courier-Journal, "In the path of totality, eclipse in Hopkinsville touches many 'deep down on a soul level'," 21 Aug. 2017
The skies darkened, and the temperature dropped, and the sun became a crescent sliver as the moon creeped into its path around 10 a.m. local time in the Pacific Northwest.

— jen kirby, Daily Intelligencer, "The Solar Eclipse Is Here," 21 Aug. 2017
A 25,000-year-old limestone carving discovered in a rock shelter in France depicts a pregnant woman holding what appears to be a bison horn with the swoop of a crescent moon and 13 small notches—a possible paean to reproductive and lunar cycles.

— ben huberman, Longreads, "Corals and Crabs Get Moonstruck, Too," 10 Aug. 2017
Health officials’ concern during an eclipse is that people will stare at the sun, particularly close to totality when the sun may look like a crescent.

— tyler nordgren, Discover Magazine, "Eclipse 2017: Darkness Is Coming," 7 Aug. 2017
Even when 99 percent of the sun's surface (the photosphere) is obscured during the partial phases of a solar eclipse, the remaining crescent Sun is still intense enough to cause a retinal burn.

— leada gore, AL.com, "Solar eclipse 2017: Why is it dangerous to watch a total solar eclipse?," 4 Aug. 2017
Infiniti’s signature crescent C-pillar emphasized the feeling of movement, even when standing still.

— emma jayne williams, star-telegram, "Infiniti’s QX30 Sport returns for 2018 with prices ranging from $29,950-$39,500," 28 July 2017
Slowly push the mixture away from you towards the tip of the pan to form a crescent shape, then quickly flip so the raw side hits the hot side of the pan.

— sarah rense, Esquire, "This Is the Only Way to Make an Omelette," 14 July 2017

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

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

See Words from the same year

Crescent

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trademark Cres·cent \ ˈkre-sᵊnt \

Definition of Crescent

—used for an adjustable open-end wrench

CRESCENT Defined for English Language Learners

crescent

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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

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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

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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