crown

[ kroun ]
See synonyms for crown on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. any of various types of headgear worn by a monarch as a symbol of sovereignty, often made of precious metal and ornamented with valuable gems.

  2. a similar ornamental headgear worn by a person designated king or queen in a pageant, contest, etc.

  1. an ornamental wreath or circlet for the head, conferred by the ancients as a mark of victory, athletic or military distinction, etc.

  2. the distinction that comes from a great achievement.

  3. the power or dominion of a sovereign.

  4. (often initial capital letter) the sovereign as head of the state, or the supreme governing power of a state under a monarchical government.

  5. any crownlike emblem or design, as in a heraldic crest.

  6. the top or highest part of anything, as of a hat or a mountain.

  7. the top of the head: Jack fell down and broke his crown.

  8. Dentistry.

    • the part of a tooth that is covered by enamel.

    • an artificial substitute, as of gold or porcelain, for the crown of a tooth.

  9. the highest point of any construction of convex section or outline, as an arch, vault, deck, or road.

  10. the highest or most nearly perfect state of anything.

  11. an exalting or chief attribute.

  12. the acme or supreme source of honor, excellence, beauty, etc.

  13. something having the form of a crown, as the corona of a flower.

  14. Botany.

    • the leaves and living branches of a tree.

    • the point at which the root of a seed plant joins the stem.

    • a circle of appendages on the throat of the corolla; corona.

  15. the crest, as of a bird.

  16. Architecture.

    • a termination of a tower consisting of a lanternlike steeple supported entirely by a number of flying buttresses.

    • any ornamental termination of a tower or turret.

  17. Also called button. Horology. a knurled knob for winding a watch.

  18. any of various coins bearing the figure of a crown or crowned head.

  19. a former silver coin of the United Kingdom, equal to five shillings: retained in circulation equal to 25 new pence after decimalization in 1971.

  20. the monetary unit of Denmark, Iceland, Norway, or Sweden: a krona or krone.

    • the koruna of the former Czechoslovakia.

    • the koruna of the Czech Republic.

  21. a crimped metal bottle cap.

  22. Cooking. crown roast.

  23. Also called bezel, top. Jewelry. the part of a cut gem above the girdle.

  24. a drill bit consisting of a metal matrix holding diamond chips.

  25. Also called head. Nautical. the part of an anchor at which the arms join the shank.

  26. Machinery.

    • a slight convexity given to a pulley supporting a flat belt in order to center the belt.

    • a slight convexity given to the outer faces of the teeth of two gears so that they mesh toward their centers rather than at the ends.

  27. a size of printing paper, 15 × 20 inches (38 × 51 centimeters).: Compare double crown.

  28. Nautical, Machinery. swallow1 (def. 13).

  29. Knots. a knot made by interweaving the strands at the end of a rope, often made as the beginning of a back splice or as the first stage in tying a more elaborate knot.

  30. a crownpiece.

verb (used with object)
  1. to invest with a regal crown, or with regal dignity and power.

  2. to place a crown or garland upon the head of.

  1. to honor or reward; invest with honor, dignity, etc.

  2. to be at the top or highest part of.

  3. to complete worthily; bring to a successful or triumphant conclusion: The award crowned his career.

  4. Informal. to hit on the top of the head: She crowned her brother with a picture book.

  5. to give to (a construction) an upper surface of convex section or outline.

  6. to cap (a tooth) with a false crown.

  7. Checkers. to change (a checker) into a king after having safely reached the last row.

  8. Knots. to form a crown on (the end of a rope).

verb (used without object)
  1. Medicine/Medical. (of a baby in childbirth) to reach a stage in delivery where the largest diameter of the fetal head is emerging from the pelvic outlet.

Origin of crown

1
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English coroune, cr(o)une, from Anglo-French coroune, from Latin corōna “wreath”; see corona

Other words from crown

  • crownless, adjective
  • re·crown, verb (used with object)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for crown (1 of 2)

crown

/ (kraʊn) /


noun
  1. an ornamental headdress denoting sovereignty, usually made of gold embedded with precious stones

  2. a wreath or garland for the head, awarded as a sign of victory, success, honour, etc

  1. (sometimes capital) monarchy or kingship

  2. an award, distinction, or title, given as an honour to reward merit, victory, etc

  3. anything resembling or symbolizing a crown, such as a sergeant major's badge or a heraldic bearing

    • history a coin worth 25 pence (five shillings)

    • any of several continental coins, such as the krona or krone, with a name meaning crown

  4. the top or summit of something, esp of a rounded object: crown of a hill; crown of the head

  5. the centre part of a road, esp when it is cambered

  6. botany

    • the leaves and upper branches of a tree

    • the junction of root and stem, usually at the level of the ground

    • another name for corona (def. 6)

  7. zoology

    • the cup and arms of a crinoid, as distinct from the stem

    • the crest of a bird

  8. the outstanding quality, achievement, state, etc: the crown of his achievements

    • the enamel-covered part of a tooth above the gum

    • artificial crown a substitute crown, usually of gold, porcelain, or acrylic resin, fitted over a decayed or broken tooth

  9. the part of a cut gem above the girdle

  10. horology a knurled knob for winding a watch

  11. the part of an anchor where the arms are joined to the shank

  12. the highest part of an arch or vault

  13. a standard size of printing paper, 15 by 20 inches

verb(tr)
  1. to put a crown on the head of, symbolically vesting with royal title, powers, etc

  2. to place a crown, wreath, garland, etc, on the head of

  1. to place something on or over the head or top of: he crowned the pie with cream

  2. to confer a title, dignity, or reward upon: he crowned her best cook

  3. to form the summit or topmost part of: the steeple crowned the tower

  4. to cap or put the finishing touch to a series of events: to crown it all it rained, too

  5. draughts to promote (a draught) to a king by placing another draught on top of it, as after reaching the end of the board

  6. to attach a crown to (a tooth)

  7. slang to hit over the head

Origin of crown

1
C12: from Old French corone, from Latin corōna wreath, crown, from Greek korōnē crown, something curved

Derived forms of crown

  • crownless, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for Crown (2 of 2)

Crown

/ (kraʊn) /


nounthe Crown (sometimes not capital)
  1. the sovereignty or realm of a monarch

    • the government of a constitutional monarchy

    • (as modifier): Crown property

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for crown

crown

The part of a tooth above the gum, covered with enamel.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.