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n. 1. The figure of the moon as it appears before its first quarter phase or after its third quarter phase, with concave and convex edges terminating in points. 2. a. A curved street. b. A curved block of buildings, especially row houses, forming a continuous facade. 3. A curved pastry. adj. 1. Crescent-shaped. 2. Waxing, as the moon approaching its first quarter phase; increasing. [Middle English cressaunt, from Anglo-Norman, variant of Old French creissant, from present participle of creistre, to grow, from Latin crēscere; see ker-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] cres·centic (krə-sĕntĭk) adj. |
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