crescent

crescent
\ \ [14] Crescent is one of a wide range of words (including create, crescendo, concrete, crew, accretion, croissant, increase, and recruit) bequeathed to English by the Latin verb crēscere ‘grow’. In the case of crescent, it came in the form of the present participial stem crēscent-, which passed into English via Old French creissant and Anglo-Norman cressaunt. Its use in the Latin phrase luna crescens ‘waxing moon’ led later to its application to the shape of the new moon, hence the modern meaning of crescent.
\ \ The modern French form croissant has given English the term for a crescent-shaped puffpastry roll [19], so named allegedly from its original manufacture following the defeat of the Turkish besiegers of Budapest in 1686, whose Muslim symbol was the crescent.
\ \ Cf.⇒ ACCRETION, CREATE, CREATURE, CREW, CROISSANT, INCREASE, RECRUIT

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Crescent — Crescent, OK U.S. city in Oklahoma Population (2000): 1281 Housing Units (2000): 639 Land area (2000): 1.062028 sq. miles (2.750640 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 1.062028 sq. miles (2.750640 sq …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • crescent — [kres′ənt] n. [altered (infl. by L) < ME cressaunt < OFr creissant, prp. of creistre, to increase < L crescere, to come forth, grow, inchoative of creare: see CREATE] 1. a phase of a planet or a moon, when it appears to have one concave… …   English World dictionary

  • Crescent — Cres cent (kr[e^]s sent), a. 1. Shaped like a crescent. [1913 Webster] Astarte, queen of heaven, with crescent horns. Milton. [1913 Webster] 2. Increasing; growing. [1913 Webster] O, I see the crescent promise of my spirit hath not set. Tennyson …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Crescent — Cres cent (kr[e^]s sent), n. [OE. cressent, cressaunt, crescent (in sense 1), OF. creissant increasing, F. croissant, p. pr. of cro[^i]tre, OF. creistre, fr. L. crescere to increase, v. incho.; akin to creare to create. See {Create}, and cf.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Crescent — ist ein Begriff für eine halbmondförmige städtebauliche Anordnung. Überblick Royal Crescent in Bath Die Bezeichnung Crescent lässt sich aus dem Englischen ableiten und bedeutet Halbmond oder Mondsichel. Ein Crescent ist eine …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Crescent — Cres cent, v. t. 1. To form into a crescent, or something resembling a crescent. [R.] Anna Seward. [1913 Webster] 2. To adorn with crescents. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Crescent, IA — U.S. city in Iowa Population (2000): 537 Housing Units (2000): 195 Land area (2000): 1.257763 sq. miles (3.257592 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 1.257763 sq. miles (3.257592 sq. km) FIPS code:… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Crescent, OK — U.S. city in Oklahoma Population (2000): 1281 Housing Units (2000): 639 Land area (2000): 1.062028 sq. miles (2.750640 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 1.062028 sq. miles (2.750640 sq. km) FIPS… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • crescent — late 14c., crescent shaped ornament, from Anglo Fr. cressaunt, from O.Fr. creissant crescent of the moon (12c., Mod.Fr. croissant), from L. crescentum (nom. crescens), prp. of crescere come forth, spring up, grow, thrive, swell, increase in… …   Etymology dictionary

  • crescent — [adj] sickle shaped bowed, bowshaped, concave, convex, crescentic, crescentiform, curved, falcate, semicircular; concept 486 crescent [n] sickle shaped object bow, concave figure, convex figure, cresentoid, curve, demilune, half moon, horned moon …   New thesaurus

  • crescent — Crescent, Le Crescent, ou croissant de la Lune, Meniscus, Luna bicornis, vel crescens. voyez Croissant …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

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