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 ]
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