A croissant is a type of pastry, classically made with puff pastry dough so that it is light, flaky, and extremely buttery. Traditionally, croissants are formed into crescent shapes, which is probably where the name originated, since croissant means “crescent” in French. The pastries are extremely popular in France as well as in other nations, and are typically eaten with breakfast. In some cases, croissants may also be filled with sweet or savory ingredient, or used like bread to make croissant sandwiches.