Forms: α. 3 curune-n, corune-n, 4–5 coroune-n, corone-n, (4 coroun), 5 corowne-n. β. 2–3 crune-n, 3–5 croune-n, (3 crouni, -y), 4–5 cron(e, 4–6 croun(e, (5 kroun), 5–7 crowne, 7– crown. Pa. pple. 2–3 icruned, -et, 3 curund, corund, 4 corouned, -de, crund, crond, 4–5 coroned, -de, -d, cround, ycrouned, 5 coronyd, corowned, i-)cronyd, i-, y-)crowned, -yd. [ME. croune-n, earlier crune-n, syncopated from corune-n, coroune-n, a. AFr. coruner, corouner, = OF. coroner, from 13th c. couronner:—L. corōnāre, f. corōna crown.]
1. trans. To place a crown, wreath or garland upon the head of (a person), in token of victory or honor, or as a decoration, etc.; to adorn with the aureole of martyrdom, virginity, etc. Also, to crown the head, or the brows (of a person).
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 121. Mid þornene crune his heaued wes i-cruned.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 47. Þu ne schalt beon icrunet bute þu beo asailȝet, for godd wole cruni þe.
c. 1300. Cursor M., 25368 (Cotton Galba). He þat victori may gete sall be corond [with] wirschippes grete.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Tim. ii. 5. He that stryueth … schal not be crowned, no but he schal fiȝt lawfully.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., Prol. 242. This noble quene, Corouned with white, and clothed al in grene.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), ii. 5. He schuld be cround with palme.
1483. Cath. Angl., 84. To Crowne, aureolare.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., II. i. 27. But she … Crownes him with flowers, and makes him all her ioy.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., III. xxxv. 219. Hee was crowned in scorn with a crown of thornes.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 143, ¶ 1. Sitting … crowned with Roses in order to make our Entertainment agreeable to us.
1840. Thirlwall, Greece, VII. 255. Many even crowned themselves before the act, as for a joyful solemnity.
1879. J. Todhunter, Alcestis, 114. That I should crown my head, and feast and sing.
b. transf. of things.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., Prol. 219. As the dayseye I-corounede is with white levys lite. Ibid., 532.
c. To reward or honor (a work of art) with a prize. [After F. couronner.]
1885. Pall Mall Gaz., 10 Feb., 5/2. M. Wauters’s book, which was crowned by the Royal Academy of Belgium.
2. spec. To invest with the regal crown, and hence with the character and dignity of a king or ruling prince. Often with complemental object, to crown king, formerly to king.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 384/256. For-to cloþi him ase an heiȝh kyng, and crouni him with golde.
1297. R. Glouc. (1724), 383. Wyllam … let hym crouny to Kynge.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., A. 415. He … Corounde me quene in blysse to brede.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 207. He … was coroned king.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 13646. He was coroned to kyng.
c. 1470. Harding, Chron., l. v. To tyme that Kynges of Englande afterward Should coroned bee.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., I. i. 48. And Crowne her Queene of England.
1678. Wanley, Wond. Lit. World, V. i. § 75. 466/1. Henry the fifth … went to Rome to be Crowned Emperour by Pope Paschalis the second.
1780. E. Perronet, Hymn, All hail the power of Jesu’s name, i. Bring forth the royal diadem, To crown Him Lord of All.
1845. Sarah Austin, Ranke’s Hist. Ref., I. 83. If the emperor desired to be crowned there.
b. by extension.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., III. iv. 154. We wil bring the deuice to the bar and crowne thee for a finder of madmen. Ibid. (1606), Tr. & Cr., I. iii. 142. Achilles, whom Opinion crownes The sinew, and the fore-hand of our Hoste.
c. To establish as king or sovereign, to enthrone. Usually fig.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., III. i. 217. She will … on your Eye-lids Crowne the God of Sleepe.
1611. Beaum. & Fl., Philaster, III. ii. Till He crown a silent sleep upon my eye-lid, Making me dream.
3. fig. (the ‘crown’ being something immaterial.)
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 129. Ure drihten hine crunede mid blisse.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter v. 15. Lord as wiþ a sheld of þi goed will þou hes corounde vs.
1382. Wyclif, Isa. xxii. 18. Crounende he shal crowne thee with tribulacioun.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 57. Clawebackes, which crowne him with commendation.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., III. ii. 71. To be a Queene, and Crown’d with infamie.
1611. Bible, Ps. viii. 5. Thou … hast crowned him with glory and honour.
1727. De Foe, Syst. Magic, I. i. (1840), 18. Wisdom crowns no man now, except it be with the rage and malice of enemies, with poverty and insult.
1846. Trench, Mirac., ii. (1862), 124. There a strong faith is crowned and rewarded.
† b. spec. To reward, remunerate. Obs.
c. 1461. Paston Lett., No. 429, II. 74. It is tyme to crone your old officers.
4. Also predicated of the crown, wreath, aureole, honor, reward, etc.: To cover as a crown does.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 50. A double Wreath shall crown our Cæsar’s Brows.
1764. Goldsm., Trav., 11. Eternal blessings crown my earliest friends.
5. To surmount (something) with.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., I. 379. Thi walles … with brik thou must corone A foote aboute, and sumdel promynent.
1610. Shaks., Temp., IV. i. 80. Who … with each end of thy blew bowe do’st crowne My boskie acres.
1798. Ferriar, Illustr. Sterne, Eng. Hist., 247. We crown the artificial mound with the shivered donjon.
1871. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), IV. 68. The ancient mound of the East Anglian Kings was now crowned by a castle of the Norman type.
6. Of a thing: To occupy the head or summit of (a thing) as a crown does, usually so as to add beauty or dignity; to form a crowning ornament to.
1746–7. Hervey, Medit. (1758), II. 239. Ye verdant Woods, that crown our Hills, and are crowned yourselves with leafy Honours.
1845. M. Pattison, Ess. (1889), I. 17. The church of St. Genoveva … crowned a height at no great distance from the Island City.
1858. Hawthorne, Fr. & It. Jrnls., I. 262. Perugia appeared before us, crowning a mighty hill, the most picturesque of cities.
1861. Miss Pratt, Flower. Pl., III. 183. Corolla with two ears at the base, which remain and crown the fruit.
1874. Micklethwaite, Mod. Par. Churches, 129. The canopy must crown the altar, not conceal it.
1886. Mrs. Flor. Caddy, Footsteps Jeanne D’Arc, 23. Her statue crowns a public fountain.
b. passive. To be crowned with, rarely by.
(In the passive 5 and 6 are scarcely separable.)
1816. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, I. 152. These [towers] … are generally crowned with fine pinnacles.
1848. Rickman, Archit., 50. The walls are crowned by a parapet.
1856. Stanley, Sinai & Pal., ii. (1858), 120. When every hill was crowned with a flourishing town or village.
1858. Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc., XIX. II. 485. The root is crowned by a tuft of leaves.
7. To adorn the surface of (anything) with what is beautiful, rich, or splendid. Usually passive.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Past., V. 57. Where … Vales with Violets once were crown’d.
1704. Pope, Pastorals, Spring, 99. The turf with rural dainties shall be crown’d.
1764. Goldsm., Trav., 45. Ye glittering towns, with wealth and splendour crown’d.
8. To fill to overflowing, or till the foam rises like a crown above the brim.
1605–31. [see CROWNED 41].
1697. Dryden, Virg. Past., V. 108. Two Goblets will I crown with sparkling Wine. Ibid., Georg., IV. 208. To … squeese the Combs with Golden Liquor crown’d.
1702. Roxb. Ball., VI. 315. Stand about with your glasses full crown’d.
1709. Prior, Poems, Hans Carvel. The Bowls were crown’d … and Healths went round.
1807. Robinson, Archæol. Græca, III. iv. 205.
1887. Morris, Odyss., I. 152. The serving-lads were crowning with drink each bowl and cup.
9. fig. To put the copestone to, to add the finishing touch to, to complete worthily. To crown all: as the finishing touch, which confirms and surpasses everything previous.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., IV. v. 224. The end crownes all, And that old common Arbitrator, Time, Will one day end it. Ibid. (1611), Wint. T. V. ii. 48. There might you haue beheld one Ioy crowne another. Ibid. (1613), Hen. VIII., V. v. 59. No day without a deed to Crowne it.
1659. B. Harris, Parival’s Iron Age, 153. The end crowns the work: and it serves for nothing, to have well begun, unless we finish so too.
1665. Sir T. Herbert, Trav. (1677), 125. To crown all, a Book … was laid upon his Coffin.
c. 1707. in Maidment, Sc. Pasquils (1868), 374. If the crafty old Peer … Designs to crown all by a finishing trick.
1725. Pope, Odyss., I. 326. Meditate my doom, to crown their joy.
1741. Shenstone, Judgm. Hercules, 453. Let manhood crown what infancy inspir’d.
1846. Trench, Mirac., xviii. (1862), 291. This work of grace and power crowned the day of that long debate.
1850. W. Irving, Goldsmith, i. 30. Ordered a bottle of wine to crown the repast.
1871. Blackie, Four Phases, i. 92. To crown all … man alone … can mould the emitted voice into articulate speech.
10. To honor or bless with a successful consummation or issue; to bring (efforts, wishes, etc.) to a successful and happy consummation.
1602. Marston, Antonio’s Rev., V. v. K 1 b. All blessed fortune crown your braue attempt.
1610. Shaks., Temp., III. i. 69. O heauen … crowne what I professe with kinde euent.
1639. Fuller, Holy War, III. xxvii. (1840), 167. Inconsiderate projects … if crowned with success, have been above censure.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Past., III. 137. Let Pollio’s fortune crown his full desires.
1766. Goldsm., Vic. W., x. The hours we pass with happy prospects in view are more pleasing than those crowned with fruition.
1870. E. Peacock, Ralf Skirl., II. 195. Success did not immediately crown his efforts.
1878. Morley, Diderot, I. 31. His wishes should be crowned, if he could procure the consent of his family.
11. To bless, amplify or endow with honor, dignity, plenty, etc. Now poetic.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. lxiv. 11. Thou crownest the yeare [Wyclif schalt blesse to the croune of the ȝer] with thy good, and thy footsteppes droppe fatnesse.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., I. (1586), 3 b. Beseeching God … that he wyll crowne the yeere with his plenteousnesse.
1611. Bible, Ecclus. xix. 5. He that resisteth pleasures, crowneth his life.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Past., IV. 78. No God shall crown the Board, nor Goddess bless the Bed. Ibid., VII. 57. Come … crown the silent Hours, and stop the rosy Morn.
1863. W. Phillips, Speeches, xi. 252. High purposes which crowned his life!
II. Technical senses.
† 12. trans. To mark (a person) with the tonsure as a sign of admission to the state of a cleric. Obs.
c. 1290. Beket, 557, in S. Eng. Leg., I. 122. A bonde-man … schal nouȝt with-oute is louerdes leue noȝwere i-crouned beo.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. VI. 56. Clerkes þat aren crouned.
13. In Draughts or Checkers, to make (a piece that reaches the opponent’s ‘crown-head’ or marginal line of squares) into a ‘king’ which can move forward or backward.
This is done by placing on it another piece already off the board, or when the pieces are marked with a crown or other distinguishing mark on one side, by turning this up so as to expose the ‘crown.’
1850. Bohn’s Handbk. Games. He is … made a King by having another piece put on, which is called crowning him.
1863. Hoyle’s Games Modernized, Draughts, 266. When the men of either opponent have made their way to the opposite end of the board … they receive increased power: they are then ‘crowned.’… Thus crowned the piece may be moved backwards as well as forwards.
14. Naut. To crown a knot: to form into a sort of knot by interweaving the strands of the rope so as to prevent untwisting.
1848. G. Biddlecombe, Art of Rigging, 44. Crowning or Finishing a Wall-Knot.
15. Milit. To effect a lodgement upon (as upon the covered way in a siege), by sapping upon a glacis near the crest. Webster 1864.
III. 16. To crown in (intr.): to subside and fall in as a crust over an interior hollow.
1880. D. C. Murray, Life’s Atonement, II. iii. 78. The land had given way and … fallen into the hollow left by some disused coal-mine—had crowned-in the country people say.
