crown

n. [ OE. corone, coroun, crune, croun, OF. corone, corune, F. couronne, fr. L. corona crown, wreath; akin to Gr. korw`nh anything curved, crown; cf. also L. curvus curved, E. curve, curb, Gael. cruinn round, W. crwn. Cf. Cornice, Corona, Coroner, Coronet. ] 1. A wreath or garland, or any ornamental fillet encircling the head, especially as a reward of victory or mark of honorable distinction; hence, anything given on account of, or obtained by, faithful or successful effort; a reward. “An olive branch and laurel crown.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

They do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 1 Cor. ix. 25. [ 1913 Webster ]

Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Rev. ii. 10. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A royal headdress or cap of sovereignty, worn by emperors, kings, princes, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Nobles wear coronets; the triple crown of the pope is usually called a tiara. The crown of England is a circle of gold with crosses, fleurs-de-lis, and imperial arches, inclosing a crimson velvet cap, and ornamented with thousands of diamonds and precious stones. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The person entitled to wear a regal or imperial crown; the sovereign; -- with the definite article. [ 1913 Webster ]

Parliament may be dissolved by the demise of the crown. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

Large arrears of pay were due to the civil and military servants of the crown. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Imperial or regal power or dominion; sovereignty. [ 1913 Webster ]

There is a power behind the crown greater than the crown itself. Junius. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Anything which imparts beauty, splendor, honor, dignity, or finish. [ 1913 Webster ]

The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness. Prov. xvi. 31. [ 1913 Webster ]

A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband. Prov. xvi. 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Highest state; acme; consummation; perfection. [ 1913 Webster ]

Mutual love, the crown of all our bliss. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. The topmost part of anything; the summit. [ 1913 Webster ]

The steepy crown of the bare mountains. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. The topmost part of the head (see Illust. of Bird.); that part of the head from which the hair descends toward the sides and back; also, the head or brain. [ 1913 Webster ]

From toe to crown he'll fill our skin with pinches. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Twenty things which I set down:
This done, I twenty more-had in my crown. Bunyan. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. The part of a hat above the brim. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. (Anat.) The part of a tooth which projects above the gum; also, the top or grinding surface of a tooth. [ 1913 Webster ]

11. (Arch.) The vertex or top of an arch; -- applied generally to about one third of the curve, but in a pointed arch to the apex only. [ 1913 Webster ]

12. (Bot.) Same as Corona. [ 1913 Webster ]

13. (Naut.) (a) That part of an anchor where the arms are joined to the shank. (b) The rounding, or rounded part, of the deck from a level line. (c) pl. The bights formed by the several turns of a cable. Totten. [ 1913 Webster ]

14. The upper range of facets in a rose diamond. [ 1913 Webster ]

15. The dome of a furnace. [ 1913 Webster ]

16. (Geom.) The area inclosed between two concentric perimeters. [ 1913 Webster ]

17. (Eccl.) A round spot shaved clean on the top of the head, as a mark of the clerical state; the tonsure. [ 1913 Webster ]

18. A size of writing paper. See under Paper. [ 1913 Webster ]

19. A coin stamped with the image of a crown; hence, a denomination of money; as, the English crown, a silver coin of the value of five shillings sterling, or a little more than $1.20; the Danish or Norwegian crown, a money of account, etc., worth nearly twenty-seven cents. [ 1913 Webster ]

20. An ornaments or decoration representing a crown; as, the paper is stamped with a crown. [ 1913 Webster ]

Crown of aberration (Astron.), a spurious circle around the true circle of the sun. --
Crown antler (Zool.), the topmost branch or tine of an antler; also, an antler having a cuplike top, with tines springing from the rim. --
Crown bar, one of the bars which support the crown sheet of steam-boiler furnace. --
Crown glass. See under Glass. --
Crown imperial. (Bot.) See in the Vocabulary. --
Crown jewels, the jewels appertaining to the sovereign while wearing the crown. [ Eng. ] “She pawned and set to sale the crown jewels.” Milton. --
Crown land, land belonging to the crown, that is, to the sovereign. --
Crown law, the law which governs criminal prosecutions. [ Eng. ] --
Crown lawyer, one employed by the crown, as in criminal cases. [ Eng. ] --
Crown octavo. See under Paper. --
Crown office. See in the Vocabulary. --
Crown paper. See under Paper. --
Crown piece. See in the Vocabulary. --
Crown Prince, the heir apparent to a crown or throne. --
Crown saw. See in the Vocabulary. --
Crown scab (Far.), a cancerous sore formed round the corners of a horse's hoof. --
Crown sheet, the flat plate which forms the top of the furnace or fire box of an internally fired steam boiler. --
Crown shell. (Zool.) See Acorn-shell. --
Crown side. See Crown office. --
Crown tax (Eccl. Hist.), a golden crown, or its value, which was required annually from the Jews by the king of Syria, in the time of the Maccabees. 1 Macc. x. 20. --
Crown wheel. See in the Vocabulary. --
Crown work. See in the Vocabulary. --
Pleas of the crown (Engl. law), criminal actions. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Crowned p. pr. & vb. n. Crowning. ] [ OE. coronen, corunen, crunien, crounien, OF. coroner, F. couronner, fr. L. coronare, fr. corona a crown. See Crown, n. ] 1. To cover, decorate, or invest with a crown; hence, to invest with royal dignity and power. [ 1913 Webster ]

Her who fairest does appear,
Crown her queen of all the year. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Crown him, and say, “Long live our emperor.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To bestow something upon as a mark of honor, dignity, or recompense; to adorn; to dignify. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou . . . hast crowned him with glory and honor. Ps. viii. 5. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To form the topmost or finishing part of; to complete; to consummate; to perfect. [ 1913 Webster ]

Amidst the grove that crowns yon tufted hill. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

One day shall crown the alliance. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

To crown the whole, came a proposition. Motley. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Mech.) To cause to round upward; to make anything higher at the middle than at the edges, as the face of a machine pulley. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Mil.) To effect a lodgment upon, as upon the crest of the glacis, or the summit of the breach. [ 1913 Webster ]

To crown a knot (Naut.), to lay the ends of the strands over and under each other. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. any plant of the genus Verbesina having clustered white or yellow flower heads.
Syn. -- crown beard. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

. A colony of the British Empire not having an elective magistracy or a parliament, but governed by a chief magistrate (called Governor) appointed by the Crown, with executive councilors nominated by him and not elected by the people. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

p. p. & a. 1. Having or wearing a crown; surmounted, invested, or adorned, with a crown, wreath, garland, etc.; honored; rewarded; completed; consummated; perfected. “Crowned with one crest.” Shak. “Crowned with conquest.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

With surpassing glory crowned. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Great; excessive; supreme. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who, or that which, crowns. Beau. & FL. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. [ Cf. Coroner. ] A coroner. [ Prov. Eng. or Scot. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Crown, Coronet. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A coronet. [ R. ] P. Whitehead. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The ultimate end and result of an undertaking; a chief end. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

O this false soul of Egypt! this grave charm . . . .
Whose bosom was my crownet, my chief end. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) A spring-blooming plant (Fritillaria imperialis) of the Lily family, having at the top of the stalk a cluster of pendent bell-shaped flowers surmounted with a tuft of green leaves. [ 1913 Webster ]