coronal

1 of 2

noun

cor·​o·​nal ˈkȯr-ə-nᵊl How to pronounce coronal (audio)
ˈkär-
variants or less commonly coronel
: a circlet for the head usually implying rank or dignity

coronal

2 of 2

adjective

co·​ro·​nal ˈkȯr-ə-nᵊl How to pronounce coronal (audio)
ˈkär-;
kə-ˈrō- How to pronounce coronal (audio)
1
a
: lying in the direction of the coronal suture
b
: of or relating to the frontal plane that passes through the long axis of the body
2
: of or relating to a corona or crown

Examples of coronal in a Sentence

Noun a Renaissance portrait of a nobel woman of Florence wearing a bejeweled coronal
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The dramatic coronal headpiece was meant to evoke the Virgin Mary. New York Times, 8 May 2018
Adjective
This particular solar storm is driven by a fast solar wind stream emanating out of a coronal hole — an area of the sun’s atmosphere where winds escape more easily. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025 During these passes, the probe managed to get roughly 31 million miles (50 million kilometers) from our star, allowing its onboard cameras to capture high-resolution images of the jets in coronal holes as well as direct measurements of the solar wind. Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 12 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for coronal

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English coronal, borrowed from Anglo-French coronel, corinal, probably borrowed from Medieval Latin corōnāle, noun derivative from neuter of Latin corōnālis "of a wreath or garland" — more at coronal entry 2

Adjective

Middle English coronale, borrowed from Medieval Latin corōnālis "of the forehead or crown of the head," going back to Latin, "of a wreath or garland," from corōna "garland worn on the head as a mark of honor or emblem of majesty, halo around a celestial body" + -ālis -al entry 1 — more at crown entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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

Cite this Entry

“Coronal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coronal. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Medical Definition

coronal

adjective
1
: of, relating to, or being a corona
2
: lying in the direction of the coronal suture
3
: of or relating to the frontal plane that passes through the long axis of the body
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