I. Orig., to grow less, grow shorter, decrease, wane (as the moon, bodies of water, the length of the day, etc.): ostreae cum luna pariter crescunt pariterque decrescunt, * Cic. Div. 2, 14, 33: “crescunt loca decrescentibus undis,” Ov. M. 1, 345; cf.: “aequora,” id. ib. 2, 292; and: decrescentia flumina, * Hor. Od. 4, 7, 3: “die decrescente (coupled with quo rursus crescente),” Plin. 2, 59, 60, § 151: “ubi febris fuit atque decrevit,” Cels. 3, 6; cf.: “morbus,” id. ib. 20 al.: nocte dieque decretum et auctum, Laev. ap. Prisc. p. 869 P.; “of the waters of the flood,” Vulg. Gen. 8, 5.—Hence,
II. In gen., to decrease, become less, diminish: “uncus aratri Ferreus occulte decrescit in arvis,” i. e. wears away, Lucr. 1, 315; id. 5, 536; Quint. 5, 12, 14; 9, 4, 23: “admiratio decrescit,” id. 1, 3, 5: “metus matrum,” Sil. 7, 82 et saep.: “ut corpora quamlibet ardua et excelsa, procerioribus admota decrescant,” i. e. seem smaller, Plin. Pan. 61, 2: “decrescente reditu (agelli) etiam pretium minuit,” Plin. Ep. 6, 3, 1.—
b. Poet., of the gradual disappearance of places as one removes farther from them, Stat. Ach. 2, 308; Claud. Rapt. Pros. 1, 189.—*
B. Pregn., to pass away by diminution; to vanish, disappear: “cornua decrescunt, etc.,” Ov. M. 1, 740.
