crone

/kroʊn/

Other forms: crones

The haggard old woman who lives down the street in a ramshackle house, shaking her fist while chasing children out of her yard? You might call her a crone, if you’re brave. (But be careful: the term is insulting.)

Since the late 14th century the word crone has been a term of abuse describing old and bad-tempered women. It traces back to the Anglo-French word charoine, meaning "dead flesh." Since the 20th century though, the word has been used in a positive way by feminists. They celebrate the wisdom and power of older women and the unique ways they contribute to society as a whole.

Definitions of crone

1. noun

   an ugly, evil-looking old woman
   synonyms: beldam, beldame, hag, witch

   type of:

   old woman

   a woman who is old