Concept:
Crown glass is a type of optical glass. It is commonly used in lenses and optical instruments because it has good transparency and relatively low dispersion.
Step 1: Crown glass belongs to the category of optical glasses.
Step 2: Optical glasses are used where control of light transmission, refraction, and dispersion is required.
Step 3: Crown glass is different from lead glass or flint glass because crown glass usually has lower refractive index and lower dispersion.
Step 4: Therefore, crown glass is mainly used as:
\[
\text{Optical glass}
\]
Hence, the correct answer is:
\[
\boxed{\text{Optical glass}}
\]