corona

noun

co·​ro·​na kə-ˈrō-nə 

plural coronas

1

: the projecting part of a classic cornice

2

: something suggesting a crown: such as

a plural coronae kə-ˈrō-(ˌ)nē  also coronas

(1)

: a usually colored circle often seen around and close to a luminous body (such as the sun or moon) caused by diffraction produced by suspended droplets or occasionally particles of dust

(2)

: the tenuous outermost part of the atmosphere of a star (such as the sun)

(3)

: a circle of light made by the apparent convergence of the streamers of the aurora borealis

b

: the upper portion of a bodily part (such as a tooth or the skull)

c

: an appendage or series of united appendages on the inner side of the corolla in some flowers (such as the daffodil, jonquil, or milkweed)

d

: a faint glow adjacent to the surface of an electrical conductor at high voltage

e

informal : coronavirus

In the fight against the consequences of the corona epidemic, the Italian government is resorting to radical measures.

—Anne Kunz et al.

3

[from La Corona, a trademark] : a long cigar having the sides straight to the end to be lit and being roundly blunt at the other end

Illustration of corona

• a corona 2c

Examples of corona in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On a smaller scale, interchange reconnection powers a constant and global population of jets that inject energy into the corona and through the coronal holes. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 1 Apr. 2025

Totality, whereby the Earth blotted out the sun's disk to reveal the sun's corona, lasted for more than two hours, with the entire eclipse process ending around 6 a.m. On Friday morning, Firefly Aerospace then released two images captured by its lander with a wide-lens camera on its top deck. —Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2025

Similar to the euro or the corona crisis, there is now a financial package for security in Europe. —Matt Robison, Newsweek, 18 Feb. 2025

On average, their temperature is 230,000 kelvins, only one-fifth that of the Sun’s corona. —Byhannah Richter, science.org, 29 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin corōna "garland worn on the head as a mark of honor or emblem of majesty, halo around a celestial body, top part of an entablature" — more at crown entry 1

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing corona

• corona radiata

Rhymes for corona

• annona
• bellona
• cardona
• cinchona
• kimono
• persona
• ramona
• belladonna
• desdemona
• bona
• dona
• jonah

Kids Definition

corona

noun

co·​ro·​na kə-ˈrō-nə 

1

: a usually colored circle often seen around and close to a shining body (as the sun or moon)

2

: the outermost part of the atmosphere of a star (as the sun)

3

: a faint glow next to the surface of an electrical conductor at high voltage

coronal

ˈkȯr-ən-ᵊl

ˈkär-;

kə-ˈrōn-

adjective

Medical Definition

corona

noun

co·​ro·​na kə-ˈrō-nə 

1

: the upper portion of a bodily part (as a tooth or the skull)

2

informal : coronavirus

Geographical Definition

Corona

geographical name

Co·​ro·​na kə-ˈrō-nə 

city in southern California east of Los Angeles population 152,374