The story
From crown + vetch, formed identically to Dutch kroonwikke, German Kronwicke.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Today it means: A crawling leguminous vine, Securigera varia, which is native to Eurasia and Africa but widely planted elsewhere as a ground cover, where it can become an invasive weed. Full definition →
From crown + vetch, formed identically to Dutch kroonwikke, German Kronwicke.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.