• (curved street):cres.(abbreviation)

FromMiddle Englishcressaunt, fromAnglo-Normancressaunt andOld Frenchcreissant(“crescent of the moon”) (Frenchcroissant), fromLatincrēscēns, present active participle ofcrēscō(“arise, thrive”), fromProto-Indo-European*ḱreh₁-(“to grow”). See Old Armenianսերիմ(serim,“be born”) andսերեմ(serem,“bring forth”), Ancient Greekκόρη(kórē,“girl”) andκούρος(koúros,“boy”), Latincreāre(“produce, create, bring forth”) andCeres(“goddess of agriculture”).Doublet ofcroissant.

The pronunciation with/z/ is a comparatively recent innovation due to the influence of words such aspheasant andpresent.

• (UK)IPA^(key):/ˈkɹɛ.zənt/,/ˈkɹɛ.sənt/

• Audio(Southern England):

  (file)

• (US)IPA^(key):/ˈkɹɛ.sənt/,/ˈkɹɛ.zənt/
• Rhymes:-ɛsənt,-ɛzənt

crescent (pluralcrescents)

1. The figure of themoon as it appears between its first or lastquarter and thenew moon, with concave and convex edges terminating in points.
2. Something shaped like a crescent, especially:
   1. A curved pastry.

      Synonyms:crescent roll,croissant

      Hyponyms:kipfel,rogalik

   2. A curved street, often presenting a continuous façade, as of row houses.
   3. (Islam) A representation of a crescent, used as a symbol of Islam.

      The Turkish flag features a white star andcrescent on red base.

   4. (heraldry) Theemblem of the waxing moon with horns directed upward, when used in acoat of arms; often used as a mark ofcadency to distinguish a second son and his descendants.
3. (New Zealand) Acrescent spanner.
4. (historical) Any of threeorders ofknighthoodconferred uponforeigners to whomTurkey might be indebted for valuable services.
   • 1880, Elizabeth Stone,Sebastiani receives publicly the Sultan's thanks, and is decorated with the Order of the Crescent:

     Sebastiani receives publicly the Sultan's thanks, and is decorated with the Order of theCrescent

5. Acrescentspotbutterfly.

crescent (notcomparable)

1. (dated,rare) marked by an increase; waxing, like the Moon.
   • c.1599–1602 (date written),William Shakespeare,The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (Second Quarto), London:[…]I[ames] R[oberts] forN[icholas] L[ing] […], published1604,→OCLC,[Act I, scene iii]:

     For naturecreſſant does not grovve alone / In thevvs and bulkes, but as this temple vvaxes, / The invvard ſervice of the minde and ſoule / Grovves vvide vvithal,[…]

     For a human being's vital functions,increasing, do not grow alone / In physical development and bulk, but as this "temple" [i.e., the body] waxes, / The inward operation of the mind and soul / Grows wide with them.

   • 1835,Alfred Tennyson, “Locksley Hall”, inPoems. […], volume(please specify |volume=I or II), London:Edward Moxon, […], published1842,→OCLC:

     O, I see thecrescent promise of my spirit hath not set.

   • 1928,Edward A. Ross,World Drift, New York, London: The Century Co.,page v:

     crescent problems which have to be faced by a large part of humanity

2. Shaped like a crescent.
   • 1667,John Milton, “Book I”, inParadise Lost. […], London:[…] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […];[a]nd by Robert Boulter […];[a]nd Matthias Walker, […],→OCLC; republished asParadise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […],1873,→OCLC:

     Astarte, queen of heaven, withcrescent horns.

• gibbous

crescent (third-person singular simple presentcrescents,present participlecrescenting,simple past and past participlecrescented)

1. (transitive) To form a crescent shape
   • 1809, Anna Seward, “Letter VI. 195”, in(Please provide the book title or journal name):

     A dark woodcrescents more than half the lawn

2. (transitive) Todecorate with crescents.

• “crescent”, inWebster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.:G. & C. Merriam,1913,→OCLC.

crēscent

1. third-personpluralfutureactiveindicative ofcrēscō