I. ˈkres ə nt sometimes ˈkrez ə nt noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English cressant, cressent, from Middle French creissant, croissant crescent, time between the new and full moon, from present participle of creistre, croistre to increase, grow, from Latin crescere; akin to Old English herse wæstm millet grain, Old Saxon hirsi millet, Old High German hirsi, hirso millet, Latin creare to create, produce, beget, bring forth, Greek koros boy, puppet, korē girl, virgin, pupil of the eye, Lithuanian šerti to feed, Albanian thjer acorn; basic meaning: growing, feeding
1.
a.
(1) : the aspect presented by the moon at any stage between new moon and first quarter and between last quarter and the succeeding new moon
(2) : any of the similar aspects of Venus and Mercury when less than half of the illuminated hemisphere is visible
b. : the shape or figure defined by a convex and a concave edge
2.
a. : a representation of the crescent moon used as an ornament, emblem, or badge
b. : a heraldic charge that consists of the figure of the crescent moon with the horns directed upward and is often used as a cadency mark to distinguish a second son and his descendants
3. : an object shaped like a crescent: as
a. : roll , bun , cookie
b. : a raised cordonnet used in needlepoint laces for separating or outlining a portion of the design
c. : an anatomical structure or section
d. : the concave in the edge of a roller in a lever escapement to allow passage of the guard pin — called also passing hollow
e. : pavillon chinois
4.
a. : an area shaped like a crescent
the industrial crescent along the Gulf coast
b. : a semicircular row of houses or the street serving such a row
the bedlam of roads, crescents, drives … that form the suburbs of Dublin — Irish Digest
5. : the gametocyte of the falciparum malaria parasite that is shaped like a crescent and constitutes a distinguishing character of malignant tertian malaria
II. adjective
Etymology: Latin crescent-, crescens, present participle of crescere
1. : increasing , growing
there was a crescent humming on the rails — Thomas Wolfe
2. : having the shape or outline of a crescent : meniscoid
New Orleans … built on a crescent sweep of the Mississippi — Allan Nevins & H.S.Commager
III. noun
or crescent spot or crescent spot butterfly
( -s )
Etymology: crescent (I)
: any of numerous small butterflies (genera Phyciodes and Melitaea ) having white spots on the wings