Crescent definition | Dictionary.com

cres⋅cent

[kres-uh

nt]

–noun

1.	a shape resembling a segment of a ring tapering to points at the ends.

2.	something, as a roll or cookie, having this shape.

Astronomy.

a.	the figure of the moon in its first or last quarter, resembling a segment of a ring tapering to points at the ends.

b.	the similar figure of Mercury and Venus on either side of inferior conjunction, when seen through a telescope.

4.	the emblem of Turkey or of Islam.

5.	the power, religion, or civilization of Turkey or of Islam.

6.	Also called Chinese crescent, Chinese pavilion, jingling Johnny, pavillon Chinois, Turkish crescent. a musical percussion instrument of Turkish origin, consisting of a pole bearing a crescent-shaped metal plate, topped with a pavillon, and hung with small bells.

Chiefly British.

a.	a curved street, often having solid façades of unified architectural design.

b.	the curve or curved portion of a street.

8.	Heraldry. a representation of a crescent moon, horns upward unless otherwise specified, used as the cadency mark of a second son.

–adjective

9.	shaped like a crescent.

10.	increasing; growing.

Origin:
1350–1400; < L crēscent- (s. of crēscēns) prp. of crēscere to grow (see create, -esce ); r. ME cressaunt < AF < L as above

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Cite This Source

Language Translation for : Crescent

Spanish:

creciente; en forma de media luna,

German:

halbmondförmig,

Japanese:

三日月

View 30 other languages »

Sponsored Links Crescent
110% Lowest Price Guarantee on Brand-Name Hand Tools. Shop Now!
www.NorthernTool.com

Discover Flooring - L.A.
Carpet, Tile, Stone, Wood or Vinyl, Our Showroom Comes To You.
www.DiscoverFlooring.com

Crescent Beverly Hills
Up to 70% off Beverly Hills Hotels Call 1-800-276-7415 Or Book Online
www.Hotels-And-Discounts.com

cres·cent (krěs'ənt) Pronunciation Key
n.

The figure of the moon as it appears in its first or last quarter, with concave and convex edges terminating in points.
Something shaped like a crescent, especially:
1. A curved pastry.
2. A curved street, often presenting a continuous façade, as of row houses.

adj.

Crescent-shaped.
Waxing, as the moon; increasing.

[Middle English cressaunt, from Anglo-Norman, variant of Old French creissant, from present participle of creistre, to grow, from Latin crēscere; see ker-² in Indo-European roots.]
cres·cen'tic (krə-sěn'tĭk) adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Cres·cent (krěs'ənt) Pronunciation Key
A trademark for an adjustable open-end wrench.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

crescent

1399, from Anglo-Fr. cressaunt, from O.Fr. creissant, from L. crescentum (nom. crescens), pp. of crescere "come forth, spring up, grow, thrive," from PIE base *ker- "to grow" (cf. L. Ceres, goddess of agriculture, creare "to bring forth, create, produce;" Gk. kouros "boy," kore "girl;" Arm. serem "bring forth," serim "be born"). First applied to the waxing moon, luna crescens, but subsequently mistaken to mean the shape, not the stage. A badge or emblem of the Turkish sultans (probably chosen for its suggestion of "increase"); figurative sense of "Muslim political power" is from 1589, but modern writers often falsely associate it with the Saracens of the Crusades or the Moors of Spain. Horns of the waxing moon are on the viewer's left side; those of the waning moon are on his right. Croissant is the modern Fr. form of the word. The original L. sense is preserved in crescendo, borrowed 1776 as a musical phrase from It., from L. crescendo, abl. of gerund of crescere.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

crescent
adjective
1.	resembling the new moon in shape
noun
1.	any shape resembling the curved shape of the moon in its first or last quarters

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
Cite This Source

crescent (krěs'ənt) Pronunciation Key

Partly but less than half illuminated. Used to describe the Moon or a planet. Compare gibbous.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

crescent cres·cent (krěs'ənt)
n.
Something having concave and convex edges terminating in points. adj.
Crescent-shaped.

cres·cen'tic (krə-sěn'tĭk) adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source

Main Entry: cres·cent
Pronunciation: 'kres-^&nt
Function: noun
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

Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source

Crescent City, CA (city, FIPS 17022)
Location: (41.754821, -124.201206)
Population (2000): 4,006 (1,754 housing units)
Area: 1.778730 sq mi (land), 0.282195 sq mi (water)
Zip code(s): 95531

Crescent Lake, OR (CCD, FIPS 03590731)
Location: (43.409573, -121.648810)
Population (2000): 2,814 (1,978 housing units)
Area: 1658.326767 sq mi (land), 36.606080 sq mi (water)
Zip code(s): 97425

Crescent City, FL (CCD, FIPS 10790663)
Location: (29.462236, -81.614259)
Population (2000): 15,127 (8,364 housing units)
Area: 155.864006 sq mi (land), 44.069332 sq mi (water)
Zip code(s): 32112

Crescent City, CA (CCD, FIPS 01590620)
Location: (41.779382, -124.191416)
Population (2000): 22,531 (8,010 housing units)
Area: 59.961570 sq mi (land), 116.619126 sq mi (water)
Zip code(s): 95531

Crescent City, IL (village, FIPS 17406)
Location: (40.770448, -87.857823)
Population (2000): 631 (272 housing units)
Area: 0.503322 sq mi (land), 0.000000 sq mi (water)
Zip code(s): 60928

Crescent City, FL (city, FIPS 15375)
Location: (29.436191, -81.513835)
Population (2000): 1,776 (846 housing units)
Area: 1.833525 sq mi (land), 0.303228 sq mi (water)
Zip code(s): 32112

Crescent Beach, FL (CDP, FIPS 15325)
Location: (29.765550, -81.253023)
Population (2000): 985 (1,535 housing units)
Area: 1.524225 sq mi (land), 0.000000 sq mi (water)
Zip code(s): 34242

Crescent Mills, CA (CDP, FIPS 17050)
Location: (40.096329, -120.912872)
Population (2000): 258 (114 housing units)
Area: 4.243653 sq mi (land), 0.000000 sq mi (water)
Zip code(s): 95934

Crescent Springs, KY (city, FIPS 18352)
Location: (39.052711, -84.577058)
Population (2000): 3,931 (1,760 housing units)
Area: 1.433995 sq mi (land), 0.000000 sq mi (water)

Crescent City North, CA (CDP, FIPS 17030)
Location: (41.762700, -124.208602)
Population (2000): 4,028 (1,761 housing units)
Area: 1.946704 sq mi (land), 0.000693 sq mi (water)

Crescent, PA (township, FIPS 00317048)
Location: (40.559681, -80.229552)
Population (2000): 2,314 (920 housing units)
Area: 2.073791 sq mi (land), 0.247714 sq mi (water)
Zip code(s): 15046

Crescent, OK (CCD, FIPS 08390689)
Location: (35.956907, -97.595673)
Population (2000): 3,260 (1,619 housing units)
Area: 123.505534 sq mi (land), 0.589828 sq mi (water)
Zip code(s): 73028

Crescent, IA (township, FIPS 15590852)
Location: (41.363913, -95.871018)
Population (2000): 1,177 (439 housing units)
Area: 29.812466 sq mi (land), 0.718656 sq mi (water)
Zip code(s): 51526

Crescent, OK (city, FIPS 18250)
Location: (35.953137, -97.594593)
Population (2000): 1,281 (639 housing units)
Area: 1.062028 sq mi (land), 0.000000 sq mi (water)
Zip code(s): 73028

Crescent, IA (city, FIPS 17175)
Location: (41.363656, -95.858789)
Population (2000): 537 (195 housing units)
Area: 1.257763 sq mi (land), 0.000000 sq mi (water)
Zip code(s): 51526

Crescent, IL (township, FIPS 07517367)
Location: (40.734682, -87.833247)
Population (2000): 644 (278 housing units)
Area: 36.341915 sq mi (land), 0.000000 sq mi (water)

Crescent, WA (CCD, FIPS 00990816)
Location: (48.085091, -123.732580)
Population (2000): 3,085 (1,728 housing units)
Area: 411.788419 sq mi (land), 131.806701 sq mi (water)

Crescent, WI (town, FIPS 08517625)
Location: (45.600465, -89.485178)
Population (2000): 2,071 (1,034 housing units)
Area: 29.340080 sq mi (land), 3.371182 sq mi (water)

La Crescent, MN (city, FIPS 05533866)
Location: (43.826566, -91.305091)
Population (2000): 4,923 (2,014 housing units)
Area: 2.886588 sq mi (land), 0.332972 sq mi (water)
Zip code(s): 55947

La Crescent, MN (township, FIPS 05533884)
Location: (43.823656, -91.329749)
Population (2000): 1,487 (531 housing units)
Area: 21.273806 sq mi (land), 1.485331 sq mi (water)
Zip code(s): 55947

La Crescent, MN (city, FIPS 16933866)
Location: (43.850026, -91.308673)
Population (2000): 0 (0 housing units)
Area: 0.125603 sq mi (land), 0.000000 sq mi (water)
Zip code(s): 55947

La Crescent, MN (city, FIPS 33866)
Location: (43.826566, -91.305091)
Population (2000): 4,923 (2,014 housing units)
Area: 3.012190 sq mi (land), 0.332972 sq mi (water)
Zip code(s): 55947

U.S. Gazetteer, U.S. Census Bureau
Cite This Source

Crescent

Cres"cent\ (kr[e^]s"sent), n. [OE. cressent, cressaunt, crescent (in sense 1), OF. creissant increasing, F. croissant, p. pr. of cro[^i]tre, OF. creistre, fr. L. crescere to increase, v. incho.; akin to creare to create. See Create, and cf. Accrue, Increase, Crescendo.]

1. The increasing moon; the moon in her first quarter, or when defined by a concave and a convex edge; also, applied improperly to the old or decreasing moon in a like state.

2. Anything having the shape of a crescent or new moon.

3. A representation of the increasing moon, often used as an emblem or badge; as: (a) A symbol of Artemis, or Diana. (b) The ancient symbol of Byzantium or Constantinople. Hence: (c) The emblem of the Turkish Empire, adopted after the taking of Constantinople.

The cross of our faith is replanted, The pale, dying crescent is daunted. --Campbell.

4. Any one of three orders of knighthood; the first instituted by Charles I., king of Naples and Sicily, in 1268; the second by Ren['e] of Anjou, in 1448; and the third by the Sultan Selim III., in 1801, to be conferred upon foreigners to whom Turkey might be indebted for valuable services. --Brande & C.

5. (Her.) The emblem of the increasing moon with horns directed upward, when used in a coat of arms; -- often used as a mark of cadency to distinguish a second son and his descendants.

Crescent

Cres"cent\ (kr[e^]s"sent), a. 1. Shaped like a crescent.

Astarte, queen of heaven, with crescent horns. --Milton.

2. Increasing; growing.

O, I see the crescent promise of my spirit hath not set. --Tennyson.

Crescent

Cres"cent\, v. t. 1. To form into a crescent, or something resembling a crescent. [R.] --Anna Seward.

2. To adorn with crescents.