I. krə̇ˈshen(ˌ)dō, -ˈse-; krāˈsh-, kreˈsh- noun
( plural crescendos or crescendoes )
Etymology: Italian, from crescendo (verbal of crescere to grow), from Latin crescendum
1.
a. : a swelling in volume of sound especially in playing or singing music
b. : a passage so performed
2.
a. : any gradual increase (as in physical or emotional force or intensity)
a crescendo of irritation
a crescendo of attacks upon the town
a crescendo of color spread over the sky
b. : the peak of such an increase
the gale reached its crescendo in the evening
[s]crescend.jpg[/s] [
mark indicating crescendo 1a
]
II. adjective (or adverb)
Etymology: Italian, literally, growing, from Latin crescendum, gerund of crescere to grow
: with an increase in volume — used as a direction in music and often indicated by the abbreviation cresc or the symbol ?
III. intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
: to grow especially in volume of sound or in emotional intensity
chants that … had crescendoed to a wild frenzy — Hendrik de Leeuw