I. ˈkre-s ə nt noun
Etymology: Middle English cressant, from Anglo-French, from present participle of crestre to grow, increase, from Latin crescere; akin to Old High German hirsi millet, Lithuanian šerti to feed, Greek koros boy
Date: 15th century
1.
a. : the moon at any stage between new moon and first quarter and between last quarter and the succeeding new moon when less than half of the illuminated hemisphere is visible
b. : the figure of the moon at such a stage defined by a convex and a concave edge
2. : something shaped like a crescent
• cres·cen·tic kre-ˈsen-tik, krə- adjective
II. adjective
Etymology: Latin crescent-, crescens, present participle of crescere
Date: 1574
: marked by an increase : increasing
my powers are crescent — Shakespeare