noun

• 1

  (also Crown Jewels)

  The crown and other ornaments and jewellery worn or carried by a sovereign on certain state occasions.

  ‘the Crown Jewels of the British monarchy’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Christopher Columbus's exploration of the Americas was funded by the Spanish royal family pawning their Crown Jewels.’
  • ‘Crown Jewels might include everything from the regalia to swords, tiaras, rings and brooches.’
  • ‘If you want to really know London, don't stop at the Tower of London with its gloomy turrets and Crown Jewels.’
  • ‘The uniforms, gowns, robes and the Crown Jewels themselves are spectacular.’
  • ‘The Crown Jewels of the British monarchy have been around for over 800 years.’
  • ‘The Cullinan Diamond is on display at the Tower of London and is part of the British Crown Jewels.’
  • ‘Edinburgh Castle is home to Scotland's Crown Jewels, the oldest Royal Regalia in the UK.’

• 2A particularly valuable or prized possession or asset.

  ‘one of Istanbul's architectural crown jewels’

  More example sentences

  • ‘he is under pressure to sell the crown jewel of his retail empire’
  • ‘Opponents of privatization won a three-month moratorium on further deals, saying that the country shouldn't give away its "crown jewels."’
  • ‘The crown jewels of the exhibit are the two original journals.’
  • ‘HBO has been a consistent producer of quality alternative programming, and Six Feet Under is one of their crown jewels.’
  • ‘He coveted Paramount Communications, whose crown jewels included Simon & Schuster and Paramount movie studios.’
  • ‘To me, he was one of Warner Brothers' crown jewels, adding a touch of class to virtually every film he was in whether period piece or modern drama.’
  • ‘The government's corporate crown jewels are also earmarked for privatisation.’
  • ‘More than 30 years later, this feast for the eyes and ears still shines brilliantly as one of the musical genre's crown jewels.’
  • ‘The Artsgarden is one of the city's crown jewels.’
  • ‘A company could implement a lot of sophisticated technology, but if it is not protecting the organization's crown jewels, it is not worthwhile.’
  • ‘These are the crown jewels of America's national park system and justifiably renowned.’
  • ‘One of racing's crown jewels, the Grand National is the world's greatest steeplechase.’
  • ‘The cricket ground is one of the city's crown jewels and cricket one of its major sporting attractions.’
  • ‘Our research universities are our crown jewels and we simply have to invest in them in a serious way.’
  • ‘They have also succeeded in getting rid of the college's crown jewels, the experienced staff who have served it so well for so many years.’
  • ‘Defenders setting up a wall to face a free kick near the penalty area will not longer be allowed to protect their crown jewels with their hands.’

  1. 2.1humorous A man's genitals.
     ‘The only thing Pete was flashing was his crown jewels after taking to the stage with his flies undone.’
     More example sentences

     • ‘It was quite hot that evening and not being a man to restrict his crown jewels in boxers all night, yours truly was sleeping in the buff.’
     • ‘Defenders setting up a wall to face a free kick near the penalty area will not longer be allowed to protect their crown jewels with their hands.’
     • ‘Whether you choose to sunbathe ‘au naturel’ or to keep your crown jewels undercover, we look forward to welcoming you to Gran Canaria's only men-only complexes.’