coronet

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A small crown worn by princes and princesses and by other nobles below the rank of sovereign.
2. n. A chaplet or headband decorated with gold or jewels.
3. n. The upper margin of a horse's hoof.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A coronal, circlet, or wreath for the head.
2. n. A crown representing a dignity inferior to that of the sovereign. The distinction between the coronets of different ranks of nobility as it now exists throughout Europe is of very modern origin. In England, the coronet of the Prince of Wales is composed of a circle or fillet of gold, on the edge four crosses pattée alternating with as many fleurs-de-lis, and from the two side crosses an arch surmounted with a mound and cross; the coronet of a duke is adorned with strawberry-leaves; that of a marquis has leaves with pearls (that is, silver balls) interposed; that of an earl has the pearls raised above the leaves; that of a viscount is surrounded with pearls only; that of a baron has only six pearls. See pearl, and cut under baron.
3. n. In modern costume, a decorative piece forming a part of a woman's head-dress, especially a plate or band, as of metal, broad in the middle and half encircling the head in front.
4. n. Same as coronal, 2.
5. n. In entomology, a circle of spines, hairs, etc., around the apex of a part, as around the end of the abdomen.
6. n. The lowest part of the pastern of a horse, running about the coffin and distinguished by the hair that joins and covers the upper part of the hoof. Also cornet. See cut under hoof.
7. To adorn as with a coronet.
8. n. An erroneous form of cornet, 7.
9. n. In botany, same as corona, especially in a diminutive sense; also formerly applied to a whorl of small flowers, as in some labiate plants, and to small heads of umbelliferous and composite plants.
10. n. The bur at the base of an antler.

Wiktionary

1. n. A small crown worn by a noble. In the British system, they are worn only at coronations. The German equivalent is Adelskrone.
2. n. The ring of tissue between a horse's hoof and its leg.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. An ornamental or honorary headdress, having the shape and character of a crown; particularly, a crown worn as the mark of high rank lower than sovereignty. The word is used by Shakespeare to denote also a kingly crown.
2. n. (Far.) The upper part of a horse's hoof, where the horn terminates in skin.
3. n. (Anc. Armor) The iron head of a tilting spear; a coronel.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. margin between the skin of the pastern and the horn of the hoof
2. n. a small crown; usually indicates a high rank but below that of sovereign