: 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
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebOur sun regularly experiences coronal mass ejections in which the star releases parts of its outer atmosphere, known as the corona. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 12 Aug. 2022 As a bonus a strong Solar Cycle 25 could mean a particularly spiky-looking solar corona around solar maximum. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 2 Aug. 2022 Through this surface mass ejection, Betelgeuse offloaded 400 billion times as much mass as the sun does during a typical coronal mass ejection, a regular event in which the sun casts off part of its outer atmosphere, called the corona. Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 12 Aug. 2022 For the first time in history a spacecraft flew through the Sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2021 Solar physicists are still puzzled over how the corona hangs onto this amount of heat. Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 2 July 2022 Technically, this term referred not to one specific virus, but to the subfamily Orthocoronavirinae, which is distinguished by its members' resemblance to a solar corona. Grayson Quay, The Week, 1 July 2022 The corona can reach a million degrees Celsius (1.8 million degrees Fahrenheit), while the surface is 5,000 degrees Celsius (9,000 degrees Fahrenheit). Ashley Strickland, CNN, 18 May 2022 These include: corona, glory, green flashes, parhelia, Bishop’s Ring, and rainbows. Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 17 May 2022 See More
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