Definition of "wane"

In the morning, one might say, his face was of a fine florid hue, but after twelve o'clock, meridian -- his dinner hour -- it blazed like a grate full of Christmas coals; and continued blazing -- but, as it were, with a gradual wane -- till six o'clock, PM, or thereabouts; after which, I saw no more of the proprietor of the face, [...].

1853, Herman Melville, "Bartleby, the Scrivener," in Billy Budd, Sailor and Other Stories, New York: Penguin, 1968; reprinted 1995 as Bartleby, p. 3

His influence which was on the wane during the reign of Joseph II grew still less during the reign of Leopold II (1790-2).

1913, Michael Ott, The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Wenzel Anton Kaunitz"

Some French peasants also prefer to sow in the wane.

1906, James George Frazer, Adonis, Attis, Osiris, volume 2, page 133

It was very dark, for although the sky was clear the moon was now well in the wane, and would not rise till the small hours.

1926, H. P. Lovecraft, The Moon-Bog

The day was in its prime, the day was in its wane, and still, uneasy in mind and body, she slept on.

1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848

The situation of the Venetian party in the wane of the eighteenth century had become extremely critical.

1845, Benjamin Disraeli, Sybil, or The Two Nations, Book 1, Chapter 3

Sapwood, or even bark, may appear on the corners, or may have been cut off, resulting in wane, or missing timber.

2002, Peter Ross, Appraisal and Repair of Timber Structures, p. 11

You saw but sorrow in its waning form.

1675, John Dryden, Aureng-zebe: A Tragedy. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for Henry Herringman, […], published 1676, (please specify the page number)

Land and trade ever will wax and wane together.

1668, Sir Josiah Child, A New Discourse of Trade

I have sat before the dense coal fire and watched it all aglow, full of its tormented flaming life; and I have seen it wane at last, down, down, to dumbest dust.

1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “Chapter 118”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley

And in the cool twilight when the sea-winds wane […]

1902, John Masefield, The Golden City of St. Mary

And so it had always pleased M. Stutz to expect great things from the dark young man whom he had first seen in his early twenties ; and his expectations had waxed rather than waned on hearing the faint bruit of the love of Ivor and Virginia—for Virginia, M. Stutz thought, would bring fineness to a point in a man like Ivor Marlay, […].

1922, Michael Arlen, “Ep./1/1”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days

His popularity, however, has waned, say analysts.

2022 September 30, Rebecca Ratcliffe, “Anger after Thai court rules 2014 coup leader can carry on as PM”, in The Guardian‎, Guardian News & Media Limited

The skies may hold not the splendour of sundown fast; / It wanes into twilight as dawn dies down into day.

1894, Algernon Charles Swinburne, A Nympholept

The fall of Jack, and the subsequent fall of Jill, simply represent the vanishing of one moon-spot after another, as the moon wanes.

1866, Sabine Baring-Gould, “The Man in the Moon”, in Curious Myths of the Middle Ages

Fast as autumn days toward winter: yet it seems//Here that autumn wanes not, here that woods and streams

1889, Algernon Charles Swinburne, A Swimmer's Dream

The snow which had been for some time waning, had given way entirely under the fresh gale of the preceding night.

1815 February 24, [Walter Scott], chapter XIX, in Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and Archibald Constable and Co., […]

Denisovans had little genetic diversity, suggesting that their small population waned further as populations of modern humans expanded.

2012 August 30, Ann Gibbons, “Genome Brings Ancient Girl to Life”, in Science Now, retrieved 2012-09-04

In which no lustful finger can profane him, Nor any earth with black eclipses wane him

1610, Ben Jonson, The Speeches at Prince Henry's Barriers

Proud once and princely was the mansion, ere a succession of spendthrifts waned away its splendour.

1797, Anna Seward, Letter to Mrs Childers of Yorkshire‎