croissant

/ˌˈk(r)wɑˌˈsɑnt/

/kwɑˈsɒŋ/

Other forms: croissants

A croissant is a buttery, crescent-shaped French pastry. Good croissants are light, flaky, and delicately sweet. Enjoy one with a cup of coffee — preferably while sitting in a charming Parisian cafe.

The croissant gets its name from its shape: in French, the word means "crescent" or "crescent of the moon." The Austrian pastry known as a Kipferl is the croissant's ancestor—in the 1830s, an Austrian opened a Viennese bakery in Paris, which became extremely popular and inspired French versions of the Kipferi, eventually named the croissant.

Definitions of croissant

1. noun

   a very rich, flaky, crescent-shaped roll
   synonyms: crescent roll

   type of:

   bun, roll

   small rounded bread either plain or sweet