a piece of jewellery like a small crown decorated with precious stones, worn by a woman, for example a princess, on formal occasions 冠状头饰（女子用，如公主在正式场合戴的镶有宝石的王冠式头饰） Word Originmid 16th cent. (denoting the Persian royal headdress): via Latin from Greek, partly via Italian. The current sense dates from the early 18th cent.