gibbous

/ˈgɪbəs/

Gibbous describes a certain phase of the moon, when it's bulging outward but isn't quite full. A waxing gibbous moon is one that's getting progressively rounder, night after night.

Occasionally the adjective gibbous is used for describing something else that protrudes or bulges, like a sleepy kitten's gibbous belly. Usually, though, it's used for the moon. When the moon isn't new (invisible from the earth) or full, it's either crescent or gibbous. Whenever the moon appears larger than a semicircle, but not quite a circle, you can describe it as gibbous.

Definitions of gibbous

1. adjective

   (used of the moon) more than half full
   synonyms: gibbose

   bulging, convex

   curving or bulging outward
2. adjective

   characteristic of or suffering from kyphosis, an abnormality of the vertebral column
   synonyms: crookback, crookbacked, humpbacked, humped, hunchbacked, kyphotic

   unfit

   not in good physical or mental condition; out of condition