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crescent

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crescent¹

  • /ˈkɹɛz.ənt/ UK
  • /ˈkɹɛs.ənt/ UK
  • /ˈkɹɛs.ənt/ US
  • /ˈkɹɛz.ənt/ US

Rhymes with -ɛsənt, -ɛzənt

Where it comes from

From Middle English cressaunt, from Anglo-Norman cressaunt and Old French creissant (“crescent of the moon”) (French croissant), from Latin crēscēns, present active participle of crēscō (“arise, thrive”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱreh₁- (“to grow”). See Old Armenian սերիմ (serim, “be born”) and սերեմ (serem, “bring forth”), Ancient Greek κόρη (kórē, “girl”) and κούρος (koúros, “boy”), Latin creāre (“produce, create, bring forth”) and Ceres (“goddess of agriculture”). Doublet of croissant.

The pronunciation with /z/ is a comparatively recent innovation due to the influence of words such as pheasant and present.

noun crescents · cres.

  1. The figure of the moon as it appears between its first or last quarter and the new moon, with concave and convex edges terminating in points.
  2. A curved pastry.

    Similar: crescent roll, croissant

  3. A curved street, often presenting a continuous façade, as of row houses.
  4. A representation of a crescent, used as a symbol of Islam. The Turkish flag features a white star and crescent on red base.
  5. The emblem of the waxing 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.
  6. New Zealand A crescent spanner.
  7. historical Any of three orders of knighthood conferred upon foreigners to whom Turkey might be indebted for valuable services. Sebastiani receives publicly the Sultan's thanks, and is decorated with the Order of the Crescent
  8. A crescentspot butterfly.

adjective cres.

  1. dated, literary, not comparable, rare Marked by an increase; waxing, like the moon. For nature creſſant does not grovve alone / In thevvs and bulkes, but as this temple vvaxes, / The invvard ſervice of the minde and ſoule / Grovves vvide vvithal, […]
  2. not comparable Shaped like a crescent. Astarte, queen of heaven, with crescent horns.

Opposite: gibbous

verb crescents · crescenting · crescented · cres.

  1. transitive To form a crescent shape. A dark wood crescents more than half the lawn
  2. transitive To decorate with crescents.

Crescent²

proper noun

  1. A census-designated place in McIntosh County, Georgia.
  2. An unincorporated community in Latah County, Idaho.
  3. A township in Iroquois County, Illinois.
  4. A minor city and township in Pottawattamie County, Iowa.
  5. A hamlet in the town of Halfmoon, Saratoga County, New York.
  6. An unincorporated community in Rowan County, North Carolina.
  7. An unincorporated community in Belmont County, Ohio.
  8. A city in Logan County, Oklahoma.
  9. An unincorporated community in Klamath County, Oregon.
  10. A township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
  11. An unincorporated community in Spartanburg County, South Carolina.
  12. A town in Oneida County, Wisconsin.
  13. An unincorporated community in the town of Arthur, Chippewa County, Wisconsin.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: lunate, semilunar, crescent-shaped, rounded, bicephalous, horned, moon, square, cross, glass, window, growing, widening, increasing, ascending, hilal

adjective

Opposite: gibbous

Translations

Every language

noun a shape in a crescent

Españolmedialuna
हिन्दीअर्धचंद्र ardhacandra
Русскийполумесяц polumesjac

noun symbol used by many Islamic entities

Españolmedialuna, creciente
Portuguêscrescente
DeutschHalbmond

noun figure of the moon

Españolmedialuna, creciente
한국어초승달 choseungdal
日本語三日月 mikazuki
中文新月 xīnyuè, 月牙 yuèyá
हिन्दीअर्धचंद्र ardhacandra
Kiswahilihilali
Portuguêscrescente
Françaiscroissant
DeutschMondsichel
Italianocrescente, falce, mezzaluna
Ελληνικάημισέληνος imisélinos
Românăsemilună
Русскийполуме́сяц polumésjac
Tiếng Việttrăng lưỡi liềm
العربيةهِلَال hilāl
עבריתסַהַר sáhar, חֲצִי סַהַר khatsí sáhar

noun curved pastry

Españolmedialuna
한국어크루아상 keuruasang
日本語クロワッサン kurowassan
Portuguêscroissant
Françaiscroissant
DeutschHörnchen, Croissant
Italianocornetto
Русскийрога́лик rogálik

noun heraldry: waxing Moon with horns directed upward

Españolcreciente

adj marked by an increase

Portuguêscrescente
Italianocrescente
Ελληνικάδρεπανοειδής drepanoeidís, μηνοειδής minoeidís
Русскийнараста́ющий narastájuščij, расту́щий rastúščij

adj shaped like a crescent

Españollunado, medialuna
Русскийсерпови́дный serpovídnyj
Tiếng Việtlưỡi liềm

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Cite this
MLA

"crescent." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/crescent. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

crescent. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/crescent

Chicago

"crescent." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/crescent.

BibTeX
@misc{crescent_2026,
  title = {crescent},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/crescent},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}