to gradually decrease or diminish, especially used to describe the moon becoming smaller as it moves away from being full.
From Old English 'wanian,' meaning 'to decrease.' Related to 'want' and 'wan.' The term originally described the visible shrinking of the moon during its cycle.
The moon's waning inspired humans for thousands of years—ancient calendars were built around the waxing and waning cycle, which is why lunar months don't match solar months perfectly. Every time you notice the moon getting smaller, you're watching the same cycle that guided civilizations for millennia.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.