I. |dā+; US also & Brit usually |dē+ adjective (or adverb)
Etymology: Italian, literally, decreasing, from Latin decrescendum, gerund of decrescere
: diminishing in volume — used as a direction in music and often indicated by the abbreviation decresc. or the sign ?; compare crescendo
[s]decresce.jpg[/s] [
mark indicating decrescendo 2
]
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Italian, from decrescendo, adjective
1. : a lessening in volume of sound
2. : a decrescendo musical passage