crescent

crescent — noun

1. A form that bulges at the centre and tapers toward each tip, resembling the moon

1.nounB1
Definition

A form that bulges at the centre and tapers toward each tip, resembling the moon's appearance a few days after its new phase when only a thin sliver is bright.

Example

A thin crescent of moon hung above the rooftops of the old town.

crescent of moon — describing a moon phase

The bay formed a perfect crescent, with white sand curving between two rocky cliffs.

geographical feature: crescent of [landform]

Common collocations
  • crescent of moon
  • crescent of light
  • thin crescent
  • golden crescent
  • crescent-shaped
Synonyms
  • sickle

    a narrower, more hooked curve, named after the farming tool; less common for moons or geographical features

  • arc

    any section of a circle's curve; lacks the tapered points that define a crescent

Antonyms
  • full moon

    the moon when its entire face is lit, forming a complete circle

Grammar Patterns

a crescent of [noun]

crescent + noun

Usage Note

When used of the moon, a crescent specifically shows less than half of the lit surface — distinct from a half-moon (exactly half) or a gibbous moon (more than half).

Common Mistakes

The full moon was a beautiful crescent.
The crescent moon hung low in the evening sky.
A crescent is a phase when less than half is lit; a full moon is completely round.

2. A road that bends in a smooth arc, or the row of houses built along such a curve

2.nounB1
Definition

A road that bends in a smooth arc, or the row of houses built along such a curved road.

Example

The family lived at number 14, Park Crescent, near the city centre.

UK address: [name] Crescent

Luca walked the length of the crescent every evening after dinner.

Common collocations
  • [name] Crescent
  • live on a crescent
  • the end of the crescent
  • houses on the crescent
Synonyms
  • cul-de-sac

    a dead-end street that often has a circular turning area; does not necessarily curve

  • close

    a street closed at one end, often curved; common in British housing estates

  • bend

    a curve in any road, not a street name

Grammar Patterns

[name] Crescent

Usage Note

Common in British street names as part of the address (e.g. 'Belgrave Crescent'). Unlike 'Street' or 'Road', it always implies a curve. Not used in American English for this purpose.

Common Mistakes

I live at Crescent 22.
I live at 22, Willow Crescent.
In UK addresses, 'Crescent' follows the street name and is part of the proper name.

crescent — adjective

Word family

  • crescent-shaped
    adjectiveB1
  • crescentic
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A crescent is a curved shape that bulges in the middle and tapers at both ends, most commonly associated with the moon when less than half of its face is lit. A half-moon refers specifically to the moon at the exact moment when half of its visible surface is illuminated, forming a perfect semicircle — it lacks the tapered points of a crescent. A sickle is a farming tool with a narrow, hooked blade, so describing something as 'sickle-shaped' suggests a tighter, more curved form than a typical crescent; it is rarely used for the moon. An arc is any continuous segment of a circle's circumference, but it has no points or tapering ends — it is a purely geometric curve. Use crescent when the shape has two distinct tapered tips; use arc when you mean only the curve itself. For example: 'The beach formed a gentle arc' (only the curve matters) versus 'The beach formed a crescent with two rocky headlands' (the pointed ends define the shape).

crescent ↗half-moonsicklearc ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • crescent moon
  • crescent shape
  • crescent roll

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in the shape of a crescent
  • shaped like a crescent
  • arranged in a crescent

Prepositions

  • in a crescent
  • into a crescent
  • shaped like a crescent

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word comes from Latin crescere meaning 'to grow' or 'to increase'. It entered English through Old French crescent, originally describing the waxing (growing) moon. The connection is that the crescent shape represents the moon as it grows from a thin sliver toward a full circle. Over time the word came to refer to any object or mark shaped like that phase of the moon.