crone

From Middle English crone, from Anglo-Norman carogne (compare central Old French charogne (a term of abuse, literally “carrion, carcass, old sheep, hag”), whence modern French charogne). Doublet of carrion.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /kɹoʊn/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /kɹəʊn/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊn
• Homophone: crosne

crone (plural crones)

1. (archaic) An old woman.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:old woman

   • 1700, [John] Dryden, “The Wife of Bathe’s Tale. As it was Written by Geffrey Chaucer”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

     But still the crone was constant to her note.

2. An archetypal figure, a wise woman.
   • 2023 August 17, Jeremy Levick & Rajat Suresh, “Hybrid Creatures” (7:01 from the start), in What We Do in the Shadows‎^[1], season 5, episode 7, spoken by Nadja of Antipaxos (Natasia Demetriou):

     “And what is your name, crispy, old, wizened crone?” “Oh, my name's Helen.” “Hel-- Oh, just Helen. That's it. Just Helen?” “Helen the Magic Woman.” “And you can help me rid myself of this disgusting hex?” “Yes.”

3. An ugly, evil-looking, or frightening old woman; a hag.
   • 2005, J. M. Coetzee, “Six”, in Slow Man, New York: Viking, →ISBN, page 36:

     With black unseeing eyes the old woman, the crone, stares at him and through him. Over and over she mutters a word that he cannot quite catch, something like Toomderoom.

   • 2023 July 20, Jake Bender & Zach Dunn, “Pride Parade” (22:07 from the start), in What We Do in the Shadows‎^[2], season 5, episode 3, spoken by Nadja of Antipaxos (Natasia Demetriou):

     “Let's welcome the most beautiful girl I know and I've ever met. My good lady wife Nadja. Come on.” “Oh, she's right here. I've got her.” “I'm here.” “Quiet, crone! Hello, everyone. Thank you all so much for coming.”

4. (obsolete) An old ewe.
   • 1557 February 13 (Gregorian calendar), Thomas Tusser, A Hundreth Good Pointes of Husbandrie, London: […] Richard Tottel, →OCLC; republished London: […] Robert Triphook, […], and William Sancho, […], 1810, →OCLC:

     In traveling homeward, buy forty good crones, and fat up the bodies of those seely bones

5. (obsolete) An old man, especially one who talks and acts like an old woman.
   • 1822 May 21, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “The Haunted House”, in Bracebridge Hall, or The Humourists. A Medley. […], volume II, New York, N.Y.: […] C. S. Van Winkle, […], →OCLC, page 210:

     The old crone [a negro man] lived in a hovel, in the midst of a small patch of potatoes and Indian corn, which his master had given him on setting him free.

   • 1844, Benjamin Disraeli, Coningsby:

     A few old battered crones of office.

• Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “crone”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

• oncer, Oncer, Coren, coner, necro-, Creon, necro, Ceron, recon

From Old Dutch corōna, from Latin corōna. Doublet of crune.

crône f

1. crown, wreath

• crônen

• Dutch: kroon
  • Afrikaans: kroon
  • → Indonesian: kerun
  • Negerhollands: kroon
• Limburgish: kroean

• “crone”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “crone (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I

crone

1. (West Midlands) alternative form of crane (“crane”)