gibbous
/ˈɡɪbəs
/adjective
1(Of the moon) having the illuminated part greater than a semicircle and less than a circle.My hand was clasped around hers, and the light of the gibbous moon set a silver path out before us....
- On the 16th Jupiter appears to the upper left of the waxing gibbous Moon.
- The waxing gibbous moon was still behind the scudding clouds, but it was far from pitch dark.
1.1Convex or protuberant: his gibbous eyes...
- The male hooded merganser, with his distinct gibbous moon crest, demands immediate attention.
Derivatives
gibbosity
/ noun ...- Females of this species also lack the tendency towards frontal gibbosity shown by males.
gibbously
- Early in the week the Moon waxes gibbously, and later in the week, after full, gibbously wanes.
- We will see the Moon waxing in its gibbous phase the early part of the week, while the last two days see it gibbously waning.
gibbousness
Origin
Late Middle English: from late Latin gibbosus, from Latin gibbus 'hump'.