crescent
Americannoun
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a shape resembling a segment of a ring tapering to points at the ends.
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something, as a roll or cookie, having this shape.
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Astronomy.
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the figure of the moon in its first or last quarter, resembling a segment of a ring tapering to points at the ends.
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the similar figure of Mercury and Venus on either side of inferior conjunction, when seen through a telescope.
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the emblem of Turkey or of Islam.
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the power, religion, or civilization of Turkey or of Islam.
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Also called Chinese crescent. Also called Chinese pavilion. Also called jingling Johnny, pavillon Chinois. Also called Turkish crescent. a musical percussion instrument of Turkish origin, consisting of a pole bearing a crescent-shaped metal plate, topped with a pavillon, and hung with small bells.
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Chiefly British.
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a curved street, often having solid façades of unified architectural design.
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the curve or curved portion of a street.
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Heraldry. a representation of a crescent moon, horns upward unless otherwise specified, used as the cadency mark of a second son.
adjective
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shaped like a crescent.
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increasing; growing.
noun
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the biconcave shape of the moon in its first or last quarters
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any shape or object resembling this
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a crescent-shaped street, often lined with houses of the same style
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( capital when part of a name )
Pelham Crescent
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heraldry a crescent moon, used as the cadency mark of a second son
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(often capital)
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the emblem of Islam or Turkey
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Islamic or Turkish power
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adjective
Other Word Forms
- crescentic adjective
- subcrescentic adjective
Etymology
Origin of crescent
1350–1400; < Latin crēscent- (stem of crēscēns ) present participle of crēscere to grow ( create, -esce ); replacing Middle English cressaunt < Anglo-French < Latin as above
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
People living with sickle cell disease have red blood cells that are crescent shaped due to a gene mutation.
From Los Angeles Times
The stars scattered brightly and were mirrored in the sea, a fat crescent moon rose amongst them, and egg after round white egg rolled into the bottom of the nest.
From Literature
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On the left was a crescent moon and on the right was something that looked like an archway made of bricks.
From Literature
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Faint gray crescents ring his tired brown eyes, and his bedraggled curls are longer than usual.
From Literature
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It looks kind of like a flaky roll, in the shape of a crescent moon.
From Literature
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.