Main Entry: co·ro·na

Pronunciation: \kə-ˈrō-nə\

Function: noun

Etymology: Latin, garland, crown, cornice — more at crown

Date: 1548

1 : the projecting part of a classic cornice
2 a : a usually colored circle often seen around and close to a luminous body (as the sun or moon) caused by diffraction produced by suspended droplets or occasionally particles of dust b : the tenuous outermost part of the atmosphere of a star (as the sun) c : a circle of light made by the apparent convergence of the streamers of the aurora borealis d : the upper portion of a bodily part (as a tooth or the skull) e : an appendage or series of united appendages on the inner side of the corolla in some flowers (as the daffodil, jonquil, or milkweed) f : a faint glow adjacent to the surface of an electrical conductor at high voltage
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

[corona illustration]