[cre.scen.do] n, pl -dos or -does also -di [It, fr. crescendo, adj., increasing, gerund of crescere to grow, increase, fr. L] (1776) 1 a: a gradual increase; specif: a gradual increase in volume of a musical passage b: the peak of a gradual increase: climax "complaints about stifling smog conditions reach a ~ --Down Beat"
2: a crescendo musical passage -- crescendo vi
[2]crescendo adv or adj (1859): with an increase in volume--used as a direction in music