crone

noun

: a cruel or ugly old woman
… chocolate-colored rock formations that look like giant toadstools, fat old crones, and creatures from a bad dream.Elaine Jarvik

Examples of crone in a Sentence

The old crone lived alone. a run-down house that was inhabited by a cantankerous crone who kept to herself
Recent Examples on the Web The Witches concerns a conspiracy of demonic crones bent on eradicating kids altogether. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 29 Feb. 2024 Campbell begins like a fairy tale, in a house the crone Baba Yaga could have comfortably resided in. Yvonne Zipp, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Feb. 2024 It’s even carved with mother/maiden/crone moon phases, perfect for keeping crystals nearby. Cristian Esteban, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2023 Her grandmother Zahra, an old crone of a woman who cruelly spits out words to demean her daughter and granddaughter with little regard for their feelings, had always forbid them. Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 17 Nov. 2023 Set in a quasi-realistic world where a conflict rages with a mixture of magic and military might, the film focuses on Sophie, a young milliner aged into a withered crone by a curse from the Witch of the Waste. Matt Kamen, WIRED, 7 Sep. 2023 The crone ties a red string around Emma’s wrist and tells her to make three wishes. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 5 Sep. 2023 Sometimes, they are depicted as mountain-dwelling crones shunned by society. Alex Orlando, Discover Magazine, 24 July 2023 Of primary importance for many Neopagans is the triple goddess, a figure who encompasses the three aspects of maiden, mother and crone. Alyssa Beall, USA TODAY, 13 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, a term of abuse, from Anglo-French caroine, charoine dead flesh — more at carrion

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of crone was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near crone

Cite this Entry

“Crone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crone. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

crone

noun

More from Merriam-Webster on crone

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