croissant
/krwɑːˈsɒ̃/
noun
Origin
French
croissant — growing, increasing, or crescent-shaped
Overview
Meaning Now
- A crescent-shaped, flaky, buttery pastry made of laminated dough.
- A crescent shape (specifically in geometry or astronomy).
Literal older meaning
crescent
Language path
French → English
Earliest form
croissant
Earliest period
19th century
Journey
While often associated with France, the pastry's ancestor is the Austrian 'kipferl'. Legend suggests it was created to celebrate the defeat of the Ottoman Empire at the Siege of Vienna in 1683, with the crescent shape mimicking the Ottoman flag, though culinary historians note that the modern laminated dough technique is a much later French development.
Evolution
- Middle French
croissant
“growing or increasing”
Derived from the verb 'croître' (to grow), referring to the waxing moon.
- Austrian/French transition
kipferl/croissant
“crescent-shaped pastry”
The Austrian 'kipferl' is widely considered the predecessor to the modern puff-pastry croissant.
- Modern English
croissant
“laminated pastry”
Specifically refers to the light, airy version made with puff pastry techniques.
Connections
Word parts
croissant
stem
growing/crescent
Related across languages
English
crescent
a curved shape
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Related to croissant
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.