Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - crown

(crowns, crowning, crowned) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. A crown is a circular ornament, usually made of gold and jewels, which a king or queen wears on their head at official ceremonies. You can also use crown to refer to anything circular that is worn on someone’s head. ...a crown of flowers. N-COUNT 2. The government of a country that has a king or queen is sometimes referred to as the Crown. In British criminal cases the prosecutor is the Crown. She says the sovereignty of the Crown must be preserved. ...a Minister of the Crown. ...chief witness for the Crown. N-PROPER: the N 3. When a king or queen is crowned, a crown is placed on their head as part of a ceremony in which they are officially made king or queen. Elizabeth was crowned in Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953... Two days later, Juan Carlos was crowned king. ...the newly crowned King. VERB: usu passive, be V-ed, be V-ed n, V-ed 4. Your crown is the top part of your head, at the back. He laid his hand gently on the crown of her head. N-COUNT: usu sing, usu with supp 5. A crown is an artificial top piece fixed over a broken or decayed tooth. N-COUNT 6. In sport, winning an important competition is sometimes referred to as a crown. ...his dream of a fourth Wimbledon crown. N-COUNT: oft n N 7. An achievement or event that crowns something makes it perfect, successful, or complete. The summit was crowned by the signing of the historic START treaty. ...the crowning achievement of his career. VERB: V n, V-ing