Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Crown?

\Crown\ (kr?n), p. p. of {Crow}. [Obs.]
\Crown\ (kroun), 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. They do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. --1 Cor. ix. 25. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. --Rev. ii. 10. 2. A royal headdress or cap of sovereignty, worn by emperors, kings, princes, etc. Note: 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. 3. The person entitled to wear a regal or imperial crown; the sovereign; -- with the definite article. Parliament may be dissolved by the demise of the crown. --Blackstone. Large arrears of pay were due to the civil and military servants of the crown. --Macaulay. 4. Imperial or regal power or dominion; sovereignty. There is a power behind the crown greater than the crown itself. --Junius. 5. Anything which imparts beauty, splendor, honor, dignity, or finish. The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness. --Prov. xvi. 31. A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband. --Prov. xvi. 4. 6. Highest state; acme; consummation; perfection. Mutual love, the crown of all our bliss. --Milton. 7. The topmost part of anything; the summit. The steepy crown of the bare mountains. --Dryden. 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. From toe to crown he'll fill our skin with pinches. --Shak. Twenty things which I set down: This done, I twenty more-had in my crown. --Bunyan. 9. The part of a hat above the brim. 10. (Anat.) The part of a tooth which projects above the gum; also, the top or grinding surface of a tooth. 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. 12. (Bot.) Same as {Corona}. 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. 14. The upper range of facets in a rose diamond. 15. The dome of a furnace. 16. (Geom.) The area inclosed between two concentric perimeters. 17. (Eccl.) A round spot shaved clean on the top of the head, as a mark of the clerical state; the tonsure. 18. A size of writing paper. See under {Paper}. 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. 20. An ornaments or decoration representing a crown; as, the paper is stamped with a crown. {Crown of aberration} (Astron.), a spurious circle around the true circle of the sun. {Crown antler} (Zo["o]l.), 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}. (Zo["o]l.) 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.
\Crown\ (kroun), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Crowned} (kround); 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. Her who fairest does appear, Crown her queen of all the year. --Dryden. Crown him, and say, ``Long live our emperor.'' --Shak. 2. To bestow something upon as a mark of honor, dignity, or recompense; to adorn; to dignify. Thou . . . hast crowned him with glory and honor. --Ps. viii. 5. 3. To form the topmost or finishing part of; to complete; to consummate; to perfect. Amidst the grove that crowns yon tufted hill. --Byron. One day shall crown the alliance. --Shak. To crown the whole, came a proposition. --Motley. 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. 5. (Mil.) To effect a lodgment upon, as upon the crest of the glacis, or the summit of the breach. {To crown a knot} (Naut.), to lay the ends of the strands over and under each other.