crescent

[ kres-uhnt ]
See synonyms for: crescentcrescentic on Thesaurus.com

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.

  1. 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.

  2. the emblem of Turkey or of Islam.

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

  4. Also called Chinese crescent, Chi·nese pa·vil·ion [chahy-neez puh-vil-yuhn, -nees], /ˈtʃaɪ niz pəˈvɪl yən, -nis/, jingling Johnny, pavillon Chinois, Turk·ish cres·cent [tur-kish kres-uhnt] /ˈtɜr kɪʃ ˈkrɛs ənt/ . 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.

  5. Chiefly British.

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

    • the curve or curved portion of a street.

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

adjective
  1. shaped like a crescent.

  2. increasing; growing.

Origin of crescent

1
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

Other words from crescent

  • cres·cen·tic [kri-sen-tik], /krɪˈsɛn tɪk/, adjective
  • sub·cres·cen·tic, adjective

Words Nearby crescent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use crescent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for crescent

crescent

/ (ˈkrɛsənt, -zənt) /


noun
  1. the biconcave shape of the moon in its first or last quarters

  2. any shape or object resembling this

  1. mainly British

    • a crescent-shaped street, often lined with houses of the same style

    • (capital when part of a name): Pelham Crescent

  2. heraldry a crescent moon, used as the cadency mark of a second son

  3. the crescent (often capital)

    • the emblem of Islam or Turkey

    • Islamic or Turkish power

adjective
  1. archaic, or poetic increasing or growing

Origin of crescent

1
C14: from Latin crescēns increasing, from crescere to grow

Derived forms of crescent

  • crescentic (krəˈsɛntɪk), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for crescent

crescent

[ krĕsənt ]


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

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.