From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishnew moonˌnew ˈmoon noun 1 [countable usually singular]DNHA the moon when it first appears in the sky as a thin crescent2 [uncountable]TMC the time of the month at which the moon is first seen → full moon, half moon
Examples from the Corpus
new moon• There was a new moon, and its pale light cast soft shadows in the stillness.• The night was clear, and arched up from the hills with a new moon rising over their crests.• It was black as night at new moon and white as frost at first light.• By the time of the next new moon, the tribe had seen one birth and two deaths.• Near the time of new moon there is no point on the Moon that can both see sunlight and transmit to Earth.• In section seven she invites the new moon to dance on her heart, so that they can be extinguished together.• It was a mild night with clouds drifting across the sky and occasionally obscuring the new moon.• Other superstitions relating to the weather concern the day of the week upon which the new Moon chances to fall. 