cre·scen·do krə-ˈshen-(ˌ)dō
A gradual increase in volume of a musical passage.
Used as a noun
First used in 1775, Crescendo was borrowed from the Italian 'crescendo' to mean "increasing," and the Latin 'crēscere', meaning "to come into existence, increase in size or numbers" (Source: Merriam-Webster).
The growing applause reached its crescendo when the performers came on stage to start their set.