In art and symbolism, a crescent is the shape produced when a circular disk has a segment of another circle removed from its edge so that what remains is a shape enclosed by two circular arcs of different diameters which intersect at two points (usually in such a manner that the enclosed shape does not include the center of the original circle). In astronomy, a crescent is the shape of the lit side of a spherical body (most notably the Moon) that appears to be less than half illuminated by the Sun as seen by the viewer.
The word crescent is derived from the present participle of the Latin verb crescere, "to grow", and was originally applied to the form of the waxing moon.
Usage
See Special:Whatlinkshere/Etymology:Crescent for a list of articles using this term.
