coroner
/ˈkɔɹ.ə.nɚ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.43 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A public official who presides over an inquest into unnatural deaths, and who may have (or historically had) additional powers such as investigating cases of treasure trove.
noun
A medical doctor who performs autopsies and determines time and cause of death from a scientific standpoint.
Canadian usage; American usage
noun
The administrative head of a sheading.
Example Sentences
- "The coroner confirmed the cause of death."
- "A report from the coroner was presented in court."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱorh₂-der. Ancient Greek κορώνη (korṓnē)bor. Latin corōna Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin corōnāre Old French coronerbor. Middle English coroner English coroner From Middle English coroner, from Old French curuner, from Medieval Latin custōs placitōrum corōnae (“guardian of the crown's pleas”). The function was originally to protect royal properties. Compare crowner. Doublet of crown.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: coroner, curuner, custōs placitōrum corōnae
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈkɔɹ.ə.nɚ/
- British English: /ˈkɒ.ɹə.nə(ɹ)/