Did you know?
The adjective gibbous has its origins in the Latin noun gibbus, meaning "hump." It was adopted into Middle English to describe rounded, convex things. While it has been used to describe the rounded body parts of humans and animals (such as the back of a camel) and to describe the shape of certain flowers (such as snapdragons), the term is most often used to describe the moon: a gibbous moon is one that is between half full and full.
Examples of gibbous in a Sentence
Jennifer Culp, Them, 12 July 2024
Here's What Jupiter in Gemini Means for You, Based on Your Zodiac Sign
The lunar phases and their meaning
There are eight lunar phases: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter and waning crescent.
—Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 6 June 2024
Waning gibbous As the moon begins to wane and its luminosity dissipates, the waning gibbous phase marks a time of gratitude, reflection and surrender.
—Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 6 June 2024
The lunar cycle is currently in its waxing gibbous phase.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 21 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for gibbous 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gibbous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near gibbous
Cite this Entry
“Gibbous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gibbous. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
Copy Citation
Share