Meaning & use
crone
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Meanings
nouncountableoffensivedisapproving
An insulting word for an ugly or unpleasant old woman.
Grammar: Countable and insulting: avoid using it to describe real people.
Patterns
- an old crone
The word crone is considered insulting when used for a real woman.
In the fairy tale, a crone offered the princess a poisoned apple.
Writers once described grandmothers as crones, but that sounds rude now.
nouncountableliterary
In folklore and fantasy, an old woman who may be wicked or wise and often has magic powers.
Grammar: Countable in stories: a wise crone.
Patterns
- a wise crone
- the crone of the woods
The hero visited a crone who lived in the forest and knew the future.
In the story, the crone gave the travelers a magic key.
The film shows a crone stirring a cauldron.
nouncountablereligionspecialist
In some modern spiritual traditions, the third stage of womanhood, linked to wisdom and age.
Grammar: Countable in a positive sense: she embraced the crone stage.
Patterns
- the crone stage
Some writers celebrate the crone as a figure of wisdom.
In the three-stage model, the maiden grows into the mother and then the crone.
Word forms
| plural | crones |
|---|
Common combinations
- a wise crone
- The wise crone gave the boy advice.
- an old crone
- The story tells of an old crone in the woods.
- wicked crone
- The wicked crone in the tale lured children.
- a crone in a fairy tale
- A crone in a fairy tale often hides a secret.
- ancient crone
- An ancient crone sat by the fire.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hag
- Hag is even more insulting and always unpleasant, while crone can be neutral in folklore.
- witch
- Witch stresses magic powers and not age, so a witch need not be old.
- elder
- Elder is respectful and neutral and has none of the sinister or insulting tone of crone.
- granny
- Granny is a warm word for a grandmother and has no negative tone.
Opposites
Word family
- croneish adjective
- like a crone, rarely used
- crone-like adjective
- resembling a crone
Commonly confused: crone or crony?
crone vs crony
A crony is a close friend or companion, often one who gets unfair favors. It sounds similar but is unrelated.
Practice
In the fairy tale, the travelers meet a ____ in the woods who can tell them what lies ahead.
Choose one answer.
A crone in folklore is an old woman with special knowledge. A crony is a friend, and clerk and cadet have no folklore sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “crone”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.