Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Crescendo
Cres-cen′do
(kr?s-s?n′d?; It. kr?-sh?n′d?)
, Adj.
& adv.
[It., from
crescere
to increase. See Crescent
.] (Mus.)
With a constantly increasing volume of voice; with gradually increasing strength and fullness of tone; – a direction for the performance of music, indicated by the mark, or by writing the word on the score.
Cres-cen′do
,Noun.
(Mus.)
(a)
A gradual increase in the strength and fullness of tone with which a passage is performed.
(b)
A passage to be performed with constantly increasing volume of tone.
Definition 2024
Crescendo
Crescendo
See also: crescendo
German
Noun
Crescendo n (genitive Crescendos, plural Crescendos)
Declension
Declension of Crescendo
| singular | plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | noun | def. | noun | |
| nominative | ein | das | Crescendo | die | Crescendos |
| genitive | eines | des | Crescendos | der | Crescendos |
| dative | einem | dem | Crescendo | den | Crescendos |
| accusative | ein | das | Crescendo | die | Crescendos |
crescendo
crescendo
See also: Crescendo
English
Alternative forms
Noun
Crescendo notation.
crescendo (plural crescendos or crescendi or crescendoes)
- (music) An instruction to play gradually more loudly, denoted by a long, narrow angle with its apex on the left ( < ).
- (figuratively) A gradual increase of anything, especially to a dramatic climax.
- Their fighting rose in a fearsome crescendo.
- (figuratively, nonstandard) The climax of a gradual increase.
- Their arguing rose to a fearsome crescendo.
- 2011 October 20, Michael da Silva, “Stoke 3 - 0 Macc Tel-Aviv”, in BBC Sport:
- With the Stoke supporters jeering Ziv's every subsequent touch, the pantomime atmosphere created by the home crowd reached a crescendo when Ziv was shown a straight red shortly after the break in extraordinary circumstances.
Usage notes
- The musical sense indicates that the figurative sense is an increase rather than the climax of the increase. The use of this word to mean the climax of an increase is nonstandard but commonplace.
Antonyms
- (music): decrescendo, diminuendo
- (the climax of a gradual increase): climax, conclusion
Translations
music: instruction to play gradually more loudly
figuratively: gradual increase
Verb
crescendo (third-person singular simple present crescendoes, present participle crescendoing, simple past and past participle crescendoed)
- To increase in intensity, to reach or head for a crescendo.
- The band crescendoed and then suddenly went silent.
Finnish
Noun
crescendo
- crescendo (instruction to play gradually more loudly)
- (rare) crescendo (gradual increase, especially to a dramatic climax)
Declension
| Inflection of crescendo (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | crescendo | crescendot | |
| genitive | crescendon | crescendojen | |
| partitive | crescendoa | crescendoja | |
| illative | crescendoon | crescendoihin | |
| singular | plural | ||
| nominative | crescendo | crescendot | |
| accusative | nom. | crescendo | crescendot |
| gen. | crescendon | ||
| genitive | crescendon | crescendojen | |
| partitive | crescendoa | crescendoja | |
| inessive | crescendossa | crescendoissa | |
| elative | crescendosta | crescendoista | |
| illative | crescendoon | crescendoihin | |
| adessive | crescendolla | crescendoilla | |
| ablative | crescendolta | crescendoilta | |
| allative | crescendolle | crescendoille | |
| essive | crescendona | crescendoina | |
| translative | crescendoksi | crescendoiksi | |
| instructive | — | crescendoin | |
| abessive | crescendotta | crescendoitta | |
| comitative | — | crescendoineen | |
Italian
Etymology
From Latin crēscendum (“increasing, growing”), gerund of crēscō
Verb
crescendo
- (gerund of crescere) growing, increasing
Noun
crescendo m (plural crescendi)
Descendants
Latin
Participle
crēscendō
- dative masculine singular of crēscendus
- dative neuter singular of crēscendus
- ablative masculine singular of crēscendus
- ablative neuter singular of crēscendus
Portuguese
Pronunciation
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /kɾɨʃ.ˈsẽ.du/
Noun
crescendo m (plural crescendos)
Verb
crescendo
- gerund of crescer
Swedish
Noun
crescendo n
Declension
| Inflection of crescendo | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | |||
| Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
| Nominative | crescendo | crescendot | crescendon | crescendona |
| Genitive | crescendos | crescendots | crescendons | crescendonas |