n. & v.
--n.
1. a monarch's ornamental and usu. jewelled head-dress.
2 (the Crown) a the monarch, esp. as head of State. b the power or authority residing in the monarchy.
3 a a wreath of leaves or flowers etc. worn on the head, esp. as an emblem of victory. b an award or distinction gained by a victory or achievement, esp. in sport.
4 a crown-shaped thing, esp. a device or ornament.
5 the top part of a thing, esp. of the head or a hat.
6 a the highest or central part of an arched or curved thing (crown of the road). b a thing that completes or forms the summit.
7 the part of a plant just above and below the ground.
8 the upper part of a cut gem above the girdle.
9 a the part of a tooth projecting from the gum. b an artificial replacement or covering for this.
10 a a former British coin equal to five shillings (25p). b any of several foreign coins with a name meaning 'crown', esp. the krona or krone.
11 a former size of paper, 504 x 384 mm.
--v.tr.
1. put a crown on (a person or a person's head).
2 invest (a person) with a royal crown or authority.
3 be a crown to; encircle or rest on the top of.
4 a (often as crowning adj.) be or cause to be the consummation, reward, or finishing touch to (the crowning glory). b bring (efforts) to a happy issue.
5 fit a crown to (a tooth).
6 sl. hit on the head.
Phrases and idioms:
crown cap a cork-lined metal cap for a bottle. Crown Colony a British colony controlled by the Crown. Crown Court a court of criminal jurisdiction in England and Wales. Crown Derby a soft-paste porcelain made at Derby and often marked with a crown above the letter 'D'. crown glass glass made without lead or iron and orig. in a circular sheet; used formerly in windows, now as optical glass of low refractive index. crown green a kind of bowling-green rising towards the middle. crown imperial a tall fritillary, Fritillaria imperialis, with a flower-cluster at the top of the stalk. crown jewels the regalia and other jewellery worn by the sovereign on certain State occasions. Crown Office (in the UK) an office of the Supreme Court transacting common-law business of Chancery. crown of thorns any starfish of the genus Acanthaster feeding on coral. Crown prince a male heir to a sovereign throne. Crown princess
1. the wife of a Crown prince.
2 a female heir to a sovereign throne. crown roast a roast of rib-pieces of pork or lamb arranged like a crown. crown saw a cylinder with a toothed edge for making a circular hole. crown wheel a wheel with teeth set at right angles to its plane, esp. in the gears of motor vehicles.
Etymology: ME f. AF corune, OF corone f. L corona