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crescent

[kres-uhnt]

Example Sentences Origin

noun

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

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

Astronomy.

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

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

the emblem of Turkey or of Islam.

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

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

the curve or curved portion of a street.

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

COLLAPSE

adjective

shaped like a crescent.

10.

increasing; growing.

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Crescent is always a great word to know.

So is alpha. Does it mean:

used to designate the brightest star in a constellation

the boundary around a black hole on and within which no matter or radiation can escape

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Origin:
1350–1400; < Latin crēscent- (stem of crēscēns) present participle of crēscere to grow (see create, -esce); replacing Middle English cressaunt < Anglo-French < Latin as above

Related forms

cres·cen·tic

[kri-sen-tik] , adjective

sub·cres·cen·tic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To crescent

Example Sentences

Fold the dough around the filling to form a crescent and pinch the edges to seal them tight.

They are curved, being blunt at the apex and sharp in the crescent.

Venus--a planet so bright it is nicknamed the evening star--will shine next to the crescent moon in the southwestern sky.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

crescent (ˈkrɛs^ənt, -z^ənt)

—n
1.	the biconcave shape of the moon in its first or last quarters
2.	any shape or object resembling this
3.	chiefly (Brit)
	a. a crescent-shaped street, often lined with houses of the same style
	b. (capital when part of a name): Pelham Crescent
4.	heraldry a crescent moon, used as the cadency mark of a second son
5.	(often capital) the crescent
	a. the emblem of Islam or Turkey
	b. Islamic or Turkish power

—*adj*
6.	archaic, poetic or increasing or growing

[C14: from Latin crescēns increasing, from crescere to grow]

crescentic

—*adj*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

crescent

late 14c., 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

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"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 1580s, 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 Latin sense is preserved in crescendo.

COLLAPSE

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

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.

American Heritage

Science Dictionary

crescent

(krěs'ənt) Pronunciation Key
Partly but less than half illuminated. Used to describe the Moon or a planet. Compare gibbous.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia

crescent

political, military, and religious emblem of the Byzantine and Turkish empires and, later and more generally, of all Islamic countries.

Learn more about crescent with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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