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crown
crown / kroun/ • n. 1. a circular ornamental headdress worn by a monarch as a symbol of authority, usually made of or decorated with precious metals and jewels. ∎ (the Crown) the reigning monarch, representing a country's government. ∎ (usu. the Crown) the power or authority residing in the monarchy. ∎ an ornament, emblem, or badge shaped like a crown. ∎ a wreath of leaves or flowers, esp. that worn as an emblem of victory in ancient Greece or Rome. ∎ an award or distinction gained by a victory or achievement, esp. in sports: the world heavyweight crown. 2. the top or highest part of something: the crown of the hill. ∎ the top part of a person's head or a hat. ∎ the part of a plant just above and below the ground from which the roots and shoots branch out. ∎ the upper branching or spreading part of a tree or other plant. ∎ the upper part of a cut gem, above the girdle. ∎ the part of a tooth projecting from the gum. ∎ an artificial replacement or covering for the upper part of a tooth. ∎ the point of an anchor at which the arms reach the shaft. 3. (also crown piece) a British coin with a face value of five shillings or 25 pence, now minted only for commemorative purposes. ∎ a foreign coin with a name meaning ‘crown,’ esp. the krona or krone. 4. (in full metric crown) a paper size, now standardized at 384 × 504 mm. ∎ (in full crown octavo) a book size, now standardized at 186 × 123 mm. ∎ (in full crown quarto) a book size, now standardized at 246 × 189 mm. • v. [tr.] 1. (usu. be crowned) ceremonially place a crown on the head of (someone) in order to invest them as a monarch. ∎ declare or acknowledge (someone) as the best, esp. at a sport: he was crowned world champion. ∎ (in checkers) promote (a piece) to king by placing another on top of it. ∎ rest on or form the top of: the distant knoll was crowned with trees. ∎ fit a crown to (a tooth). ∎ inf. hit on the head. 2. be the triumphant culmination of (an effort or endeavor, esp. a prolonged one): years of struggle were crowned by a state visit to Paris. 3. [intr.] (of a baby's head during labor) fully appear in the vaginal opening prior to emerging. PHRASES: crowning glory the best and most notable aspect of something. |
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"crown." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "crown." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-crown.html "crown." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-crown.html |
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crown
crown circular head ornament, symbolizing sovereign dignity. (For crowns worn by nobles, see coronet .) The use of the crown as a symbol of royal rank is of ancient tradition in Egypt and the Middle East. In ancient Greece and Rome, however, crowns—sometimes made of leaves—were merely wreaths, awarded to victors in athletic or poetic contests or bestowed on citizens in recognition of an act of public service. The crown as used in medieval and modern times is an elaboration of the diadem and is generally made of metal, often gold inlaid with precious gems. The crown became thoroughly identified with the functions of monarchy, and the term crown is often used in a purely institutional sense, as in crown lands, crown colonies, and crown debt. Among famous crowns of historic interest are the Lombard iron crown, kept at Monza, Italy; the crown of Charlemagne, at Vienna, Austria; and the sacred crown of St. Stephen of Hungary. These are exceptional in that they were used repeatedly over centuries for coronation ceremonies. Most crowns are of recent origin, although the jewels they contain are often taken from older crowns. The ancient crowns of England were destroyed under Oliver Cromwell. There are two crowns used by the British sovereigns: the crown of Edward the Confessor (a much-altered replica of the original crown) is used for the coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey, and the imperial state crown is worn on state occasions. Crowns are also worn by the consorts and families of sovereigns. The triple crown of the popes, known as a tiara, dates from the 14th cent. Regardless of their actual shape, crowns are usually represented in heraldry as closed at the top by four arched bars called diadems and surmounted by a globe and a cross. In religion and art, a crown symbolizes sovereignty (Rev. 19.12) and also honor, especially the reward of martyrdom (Heb. 2.9). |
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"crown." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "crown." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-crown.html "crown." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-crown.html |
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crown
crown a crown is the emblem of St Louis, St Olaf, St Wenceslas, and other royal saints.
The expression the Crown is used for the reigning monarch representing a country's government, or the power or authority residing in the monarchy. The word is recorded from Middle English, and comes ultimately (via Anglo-Norman French and Old French) from Latin corona ‘wreath, chaplet’. Crown jewels the crown and other ornaments and jewellery worn or carried by the sovereign on certain state occasions; the phrase is first recorded in English in the 17th century, in Milton's Eikonoklastes (1649). Crown of St Stephen the crown of the sovereigns of Hungary, which according to tradition was presented to St Stephen of Hungary by Pope Sylvester II. crown of thorns the circlet of thorns with which Christ was crowned in mockery, as recounted in John 19:2. The crown of thorns is one of the Instruments of the Passion, and may be used figuratively to indicate undeserved humiliation and suffering. See also no cross, no crown, triple crown. |
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "crown." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "crown." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-crown.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "crown." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-crown.html |
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crown
crown circlet, wreath, etc., worn on the head XII; †tonsure; vertex of the skull XIII; various coins, orig. bearing the figure of a crown XV; top, summit XVI. ME. c(o)rune (superseding OE. corona) — AN. corune, OF. corone (mod. couronne) :- L. corōna wreath, chaplet — Gr. korṓnē anything bent (korōnís crown), rel. to curvus bent (see CURVE).
So crown vb. XII. — AN. coruner, OF. coroner (mod. couronner) :- L. corōnāre; cf. CORONATION. |
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T. F. HOAD. "crown." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "crown." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-crown.html T. F. HOAD. "crown." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-crown.html |
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crown
crown.
1. A knot formed by tucking the strands of a rope's end over and under each other to lock them and prevent them unravelling. A crown knot made on top of a wall knot is the basis on which a manrope, or double wall and crown, knot is formed. 2. The lower part of an anchor where the arms are fixed to the shank. |
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"crown." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "crown." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-crown.html "crown." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-crown.html |
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crown
crown An athlete wears a crown (AV; ‘wreath’, NRSV; ‘garland’, REB) as the reward for victory (1 Cor. 9: 25). As a token of kingship, a crown (a different word in Greek) symbolized power (Rev. 9: 7) and glory (1 Peter 5: 4). Paul looked on his converts as his crown (Phil. 4: 1).
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W. R. F. BROWNING. "crown." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. W. R. F. BROWNING. "crown." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-crown.html W. R. F. BROWNING. "crown." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-crown.html |
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crown
crown (krown) n.
1. the part of a tooth normally visible in the mouth and usually covered by enamel. 2. a dental restoration that covers most or all of the natural crown. 3. see corona. |
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"crown." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "crown." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-crown.html "crown." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-crown.html |
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crown
crown. See monarchy.
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JOHN CANNON. "crown." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "crown." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-crown.html JOHN CANNON. "crown." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-crown.html |
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crown
crown See monarchy.
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Cite this article
JOHN CANNON. "crown." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "crown." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-crown.html JOHN CANNON. "crown." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-crown.html |
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crown
crown
•brown, Browne, clown, crown, down, downtown, drown, frown, gown, low-down, noun, renown, run-down, town, upside-down, uptown
•crackdown • clampdown • Ashdown
•markdown • letdown • meltdown
•breakdown, shakedown, takedown
•kick-down • thistledown • sit-down
•climbdown • countdown
•Southdown
•godown, hoedown, showdown, slowdown
•put-down • touchdown • tumbledown
•comedown
•rundown, sundown
•shutdown • eiderdown • nightgown
•pronoun • Jamestown • Freetown
•midtown • Bridgetown • Kingstown
•shanty town • Georgetown • Motown
•hometown • toytown • Newtown
•Charlottetown • Chinatown
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"crown." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "crown." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-crown.html "crown." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-crown.html |
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