moon on the 14th night of the lunar month; moon the night before the full moon
Traditional term for the nearly full moon seen on the 14th day of the lunar calendar, one night before the full moon (望月). Used in classical poetry and lunar appreciation.
See also: 望月
On the night of the 14th-day moon, the moon was already almost full.
People long ago admired the 14th-night moon and composed waka poems.
Compound of 小 (small, here meaning 'almost') and 望月 (full moon). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has been used in classical Japanese to refer to the moon on the 14th night of the lunar month.