crescendo

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Adjective, Adverb
• HYPHEN: cre=scen=do

CIDE DICTIONARY

crescendo, a. & adv. [It., from crescere to increase. See Crescent.].

 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.  [1913 Webster]

crescendo, n. 

 A gradual increase in the strength and fullness of tone with which a passage is performed.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

crescendo, n., adv., adj., & v.
--n. (pl. -os)
1 Mus. a passage gradually increasing in loudness.
2 a progress towards a climax (a crescendo of emotions). b disp. a climax (reached a crescendo then died away).
--adv. & adj. with a gradual increase in loudness.
--v.intr. (-oes, -oed) increase gradually in loudness or intensity.

Etymology

It., part. of crescere grow (as CRESCENT)

THESAURUS

crescendo

a cappella, abbandono, access, accession, accrescendo, accretion, accrual, accrue, accruement, accumulate, accumulation, acme, adagietto, adagio, add to, addition, adjunct, advance, affettuoso, aggrandize, aggrandizement, agilmente, agitato, allegretto, allegro, amabile, amoroso, ampliation, amplification, amplify, andante, andantino, apex, apogee, appassionatamente, appassionato, appreciate, appreciation, ascent, augment, augmentation, awake the dead, balloon, ballooning, blast, blast the ear, bloat, bloating, blow up, boom, boost, breed, brillante, broaden, broadening, build, build up, buildup, bulk, bulk out, capriccioso, capstone, climax, con affetto, con agilita, con agitazione, con amore, crash, crest, culmen, culmination, deafen, decrescendo, deployment, develop, development, dilate, diminuendo, din, dispersion, distend, dolce, edema, elevation, enlarge, enlargement, expand, expansion, extend, extension, fanning out, fill out, fill the air, flare, flood, forte, fortissimo, fullness, gain, gain strength, get ahead, go up, greaten, greatening, grow, growth, gush, hike, hike up, hiking, huff, increase, increment, inflate, inflation, intensify, intensity, jump, lamentabile, larghetto, larghissimo, largo, leap, legato, leggiero, loudishness, loudness, magnification, magnify, marcando, meridian, morendo, mount, mounting, multiplication, multiply, parlando, peak, peal, pianissimo, piano, pizzicato, prestissimo, presto, productiveness, proliferate, proliferation, puff, puff up, pump, pump up, raise, raising, rallentando, rarefy, rattle the windows, rend the air, rend the ears, resound, ring, rise, ritardando, ritenuto, rock the sky, run up, scherzando, scherzo, scherzoso, shoot up, snowball, snowballing, sonority, sonorousness, sordo, sotto voce, spiccato, splay, split the eardrums, split the ears, spread, spreading, staccato, startle the echoes, strengthen, stretch, stretto, stun, sufflate, surge, surge of sound, swell, swelling, thunder, tremolando, tremoloso, trillando, tumefy, tumescence, up, upping, upsurge, upswing, uptrend, upturn, volume, wax, waxing, widen, widening

ROGET THESAURUS

crescendo

Increase

N increase, augmentation, enlargement, extension, dilatation, increment, accretion, accession, development, growth, aggrandizement, aggravation, rise, ascent, exaggeration exacerbation, spread, flood tide, gain, produce, product, profit, increased, on the increase, undiminished, additional, crescendo, vires acquirit eundo.

Music

N music, concert, strain, tune, air, melody, aria, arietta, piece of music, work, number, opus, sonata, rondo, rondeau, pastorale, cavatina, roulade, fantasia, concerto, overture, symphony, variations, cadenza, cadence, fugue, canon, quodlibet, serenade, notturno, dithyramb, opera, operetta, oratorio, composition, movement, stave, passamezzo, toccata, Vorspiel, instrumental music, full score, minstrelsy, tweedledum and tweedledee, band, orchestra, concerted piece, potpourri, capriccio, vocal music, vocalism, chaunt, chant, psalm, psalmody, hymn, song, canticle, canzonet, cantata, bravura, lay, ballad, ditty, carol, pastoral, recitative, recitativo, solfeggio, Lydian measures, slow music, slow movement, adagio, minuet, siren strains, soft music, lullaby, dump, dirge, pibroch, martial music, march, dance music, waltz, solo, duet, duo, trio, quartet, quartett, septett, part song, descant, glee, madrigal, catch, round, chorus, chorale, antiphon, antiphony, accompaniment, second, bass, score, bourdon, drone, morceau, terzetto, composer, musician, musical, instrumental, vocal, choral, lyric, operatic, harmonious, Wagnerian, adagio, largo, larghetto, andante, andantino, alla capella, maestoso, moderato, allegro, allegretto, spiritoso, vivace, veloce, presto, prestissimo, con brio, capriccioso, scherzo, scherzando, legato, staccato, crescendo, diminuendo, rallentando, affettuoso, obbligato, pizzicato, desto, in notes by distance made more sweet, like the faint exquisite music of a dream, music arose with its voluptuous swell, music is the universal language of mankind, music's golden tongue, the speech of angels, will sing the savageness out of a bear, music hath charms to soothe the savage beast.