Dictionary

crone en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /kɹəʊn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /kɹoʊn/ (General-American)

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. (archaic) An old woman.
   • But still the crone was constant to her note. 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:
2. An archetypal figure, a wise woman.
   • “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.” 2023 August 17, Jeremy Levick & Rajat Suresh, “Hybrid Creatures” (7:01 from the start), in What We Do in the Shadows, season 5, episode 7, spoken by Nadja of Antipaxos (Natasia Demetriou):
3. An ugly, evil-looking, or frightening old woman; a hag.
   • “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.” 2023 July 20, Jake Bender & Zach Dunn, “Pride Parade” (22:07 from the start), in What We Do in the Shadows, season 5, episode 3, spoken by Nadja of Antipaxos (Natasia Demetriou):
   • 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. 2005, J. M. Coetzee, “Six”, in Slow Man, New York: Viking, →ISBN, page 36:
4. (obsolete) An old ewe.
   • In traveling homeward, buy forty good crones, and fat up the bodies of those seely bones 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:
5. (obsolete) An old man, especially one who talks and acts like an old woman.
   • 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. 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:
   • A few old battered crones of office. 1844, Benjamin Disraeli, Coningsby:

Forms

Deriveds

cronelike · cronehood · croning

Synonyms

granny · babushka · hag · bat · spinster · bluehair · old maid · beldame · grimalkin · prune · bag · bubbe · old lady · grandam · geezer · trot · carline · maum · witch · carlin · trout · biddy · crone · tabby · old woman · gammer · gogo

Translations (55)

ga seanchailleach (old woman) · ja 外祖母 (old woman) · fr sorcière (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · bg старица (old woman) · gd cailleach (old woman) · fi noita (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · gl coirón (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · fi kääkkä (old woman) · mk ве́штерка (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · pdt Hakjs (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · cs babizna (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · fi äijänkäppyrä (old man, especially one who talks and acts like an old woman) · fr mégère (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · es bruja (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · it strega (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · ga seanchailleach (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · ru стару́ха (old woman) · nl besje (old woman) · pl baba (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · hu banya (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · ja クローネ (old woman) · mk ста́рица (old woman) · nl heks (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · ru карга́ (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · fr vieille (old woman) · fi eukko (old woman) · ga ruacán caillí (old woman) · pl baba (old woman) · sv hagga (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · gl bruxa (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · bg вещица (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · ca àvia (old woman) · ro cotoroanță (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · ca vella (old woman) · pt coroa (old woman) · ro babă (old woman) · la anus (old woman) · ro baborniță (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · ja お婆さん (old woman) · ca iaia (old woman) · fi muori (old woman) · sv gumma (old woman) · cs bába (old woman) · cs baba (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · ro hoașcă (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · fi äijänkäppänä (old man, especially one who talks and acts like an old woman) · ja 鬼女 (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · hu szipirtyó (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · la anus (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · ja 祖母 (old woman) · fi kääkkä (old man, especially one who talks and acts like an old woman) · pt bruxa (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · cs babice (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag) · fi akka (old woman) · gd cailleach (ugly evil-looking or frightening old woman; a hag)