Word
crone
US/ˈkɹoʊn/
UK/kɹˈəʊn/
Countable noun
Definition
n. an old woman, often pictured as ugly or unpleasant, like a witch in old stories. People use it mostly in tales, not in everyday talk.
n. an old woman depicted as ugly, withered, or witch-like, often with connotations of malevolence or supernatural power.
Examples
“The old story describes a lonely crone in the woods.”
“The children fear the crone at the end of the lane, though she only sells herbs from her garden.”
“In the novel, the village dismisses her as a bitter crone, yet her sharp memory preserves histories the younger generation has already forgotten.”
Examples
simple
“The old story describes a lonely crone in the woods.”
contextual
“The children fear the crone at the end of the lane, though she only sells herbs from her garden.”
complex
“In the novel, the village dismisses her as a bitter crone, yet her sharp memory preserves histories the younger generation has already forgotten.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “crone” in context.
Verb
01. consult crone
“In the legend, the knight consults a crone to learn his fate.”
verb + noun
02. crone cackles
“The crone cackles loudly as her cauldron begins to bubble.”
noun + verb
03. crone croaks
“The crone croaks a warning that the travellers choose to ignore.”
noun + verb
04. crone hobbles
“The crone hobbles forward, leaning heavily on her twisted staff.”
noun + verb
05. crone mutters
“The crone mutters a curse under her breath and disappears.”
noun + verb
06. portray as crone
“The play portrays the queen as a bitter crone plotting revenge.”
verb + prep + noun
Adjective
07. ancient crone
“The ancient crone guarded the bridge, demanding a riddle for passage.”
adj + noun
08. haggard crone
“A haggard crone appeared at the window, clutching a flickering candle.”
adj + noun
Noun
09. caricature of crone
“The cartoon relies on the caricature of a crone with a hooked nose.”
noun + prep + noun
10. image of crone
“The story evokes the image of a crone hunched over a fire.”
noun + prep + noun
11. cackling crone by the fire
“The illustration shows a cackling crone by the fire stirring soup.”
12. mutter like an ancient crone
“He began to mutter like an ancient crone casting a spell.”
Real-World Examples
“In folk legend and Noh plays she is portrayed as an ancient withered crone, hideously ugly, haunted by the unhappy spirits of the men who died for love of her.” “Black becomes the symbol of evil and darkness." The modern perception of the witch as a hideous crone is largely indebted to Baum's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz .” “She proves to be a bigoted, greedy crone of such castrating vindictiveness that her son never speaks.” 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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/crone