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

Coronal mass ejections — fiery busts of plasma from the sun's corona — can cause space weather conditions that threaten our planet in a few different ways. —Tom Brown, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2025

Banerjee attributed this phenomenon to electrical discharges in a corona surrounding individual water droplets, but Zare wanted to investigate this phenomenon a bit further. —Ars Technica, 14 Mar. 2025

In 2018, Parker watched from Cape Canaveral as the Parker Solar Probe blasted off for the outer corona of the sun. —Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2025

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

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