crescendo

What it means

1. entertainmentAn instruction to play gradually more loudly, denoted by a long, narrow angle with its apex on the left ( < ), by musicians called a hairpin.

   As he came into the window / It was the sound of a crescendo

   1987, Michael Jackson, “Smooth Criminal”, in Bad

2. figurativelyA gradual increase of anything, especially to a dramatic climax.

   Their fighting rose in a fearsome crescendo.

3. figurativelynonstandardThe climax of a gradual increase.

   Their arguing rose to a fearsome crescendo.

   1 more example

   With the Stoke supporters jeering Ziv's every subsequent touch, the pantomime atmosphere created by the home crowd reached a crescendo when Ziv was shown a straight red shortly after the break in extraordinary circumstances.

   2011 October 20, Michael da Silva, “Stoke 3 - 0 Macc Tel-Aviv”, in BBC Sport

In a sentence

As he came into the window / It was the sound of a crescendo

1987, Michael Jackson, “Smooth Criminal”, in Bad

Where it comes from

1. Italiancrescendo
2. Englishcrescendo

Borrowed from Italian crescendo, gerund of crescere (“to grow, to increase”).