WordGarden.iocoronal
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /kˈɒrɒnəl/
US
- /kərˈoʊnəl/
Meanings
Adjective
relating to the corona of the Sun or another star
relating to the crown of the head, a tooth crown, or a coronal plane
made with the front part of the tongue in speech
Noun
a speech sound made with the front part of the tongue
Beyond the definition
Imagine the sun—not just its bright surface, but the shimmering halo around it called the corona. That’s one of the main places you’ll meet "coronal": it means "relating to a corona," or more broadly, "relating to a crown." But it doesn’t stop there. Because the word comes from the Latin word for "crown," it also shows up in anatomy for things near the crown of the head. Think of the coronal suture—the seam where the bones of your skull meet, like a headband. In medical images, doctors also talk about the coronal plane, which divides the body into front and back. You’ll also see "coronal" in linguistics for sounds made with the front of the tongue.
The word "coronal" has several closely related uses, stemming from the Latin word corona, meaning "crown." A common modern usage is in astronomy, where it describes anything relating to the corona of the sun—the outermost part of its atmosphere. A coronal mass ejection (CME) is a huge burst of plasma and magnetic field released from this region, often causing spectacular auroras on Earth. You might read about "coronal loops" or "coronal holes" when following space weather reports.
However, "coronal" also has a significant meaning in anatomy. Here, it refers to structures relating to the crown of the head or positioned in the coronal plane—an imaginary vertical plane dividing the body into front and back sections. The coronal suture is one of the major seams in the skull, joining the frontal and parietal bones. Doctors might talk about a "coronal incision," meaning a cut made along that specific plane across the top of the head.
In the field of linguistics, "coronal" describes consonants (like t, d, or n) made with the flexible front part of the tongue (the tip or the blade). In dentistry and anatomy, you may also see "coronal" used for things connected to the crown of a tooth. And in botany, a corona is a crown-like part of a flower, so "coronal" can describe structures related to that as well.
So, whether you're gazing at the sun's fiery halo, studying the human skull, or analyzing the mechanics of speech, "coronal" connects to crowns, heads, and the structures that define them—a word with deep roots in both science and symbolism.
Examples
- 1
Medical imaging
The scan showed a small tumor on the coronal view.
- Domainin medical imaging, coronal view
a front-to-back view of the body
- 2
Dentistry
In dentistry, the damage was limited to the coronal portion of the tooth.
- 3
Solar activity
Researchers are tracking a coronal mass ejection that could disrupt satellite signals.
- Domainin space science, coronal mass ejection
a large burst of material from the sun
See also
Similar
- solar
- of the solar corona
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- coronal mass ejection
- coronal hole
- coronal loop
Word family
Explore
- solar wind
- space weather
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- coronalnoun