king \king\, n. as. cyng, cyning; akin to os. kuning, d.
   koning, ohg. kuning, g. k"onig, icel. konungr, sw. konung,
   dan. konge; formed with a patronymic ending, and fr. the root
   of e. kin; cf. icel. konr a man of noble birth. root44. see
   kin.
   1. a chief ruler; a sovereign; one invested with supreme
      authority over a nation, country, or tribe, usually by
      hereditary succession; a monarch; a prince. "ay, every
      inch a king." --shak.
      1913 webster

            kings will be tyrants from policy, when subjects are
            rebels from principle.                --burke.
      1913 webster

            there was a state without king or nobles. --r.
                                                  choate.
      1913 webster

            but yonder comes the powerful king of day,
            rejoicing in the east                 --thomson.
      1913 webster

   2. one who, or that which, holds a supreme position or rank;
      a chief among competitors; as, a railroad king; a money
      king; the king of the lobby; the king of beasts.
      1913 webster

   3. a playing card having the picture of a king1; as, the
      king of diamonds.
      1913 webster

   4. the chief piece in the game of chess.
      1913 webster

   5. a crowned man in the game of draughts.
      1913 webster

   6. pl. the title of two historical books in the old
      testament.
      1913 webster

   note: king is often used adjectively, or in combination, to
         denote pre"eminence or superiority in some
         particular; as, kingbird; king crow; king vulture.
         1913 webster

   apostolic king. see apostolic.

   king-at-arms, or king-of-arms, the chief heraldic officer
      of a country. in england the king-at-arms was formerly of
      great authority. his business is to direct the heralds,
      preside at their chapters, and have the jurisdiction of
      armory. there are three principal kings-at-arms, viz.,
      garter, clarencieux, and norroy. the latter literally
      north roy or north king officiates north of the trent.

   king auk zool., the little auk or sea dove.

   king bird of paradise. zool., see bird of paradise.

   king card, in whist, the best unplayed card of each suit;
      thus, if the ace and king of a suit have been played, the
      queen is the king card of the suit.

   king cole, a legendary king of britain, who is said to have
      reigned in the third century.

   king conch zool., a large and handsome univalve shell
      cassis cameo, found in the west indies. it is used for
      making cameos. see helmet shell, under helmet.

   king cotton, a popular personification of the great staple
      production of the southern united states.

   king crab. zool.
      a the limulus or horseshoe crab. see limulus.
      b the large european spider crab or thornback maia
          squinado.
      c a large crab of the northern pacific paralithodes
          camtshatica, especially abundant on the coasts of
          alaska and japan, and popular as a food; called also
          alaskan king crab.

   king crow. zool.
      a a black drongo shrike buchanga atra of india; --
          so called because, while breeding, they attack and
          drive away hawks, crows, and other large birds.
      b the dicrurus macrocercus of india, a crested bird
          with a long, forked tail. its color is black, with
          green and blue reflections. called also devil bird.
          

   king duck zool., a large and handsome eider duck
      somateria spectabilis, inhabiting the arctic regions
      of both continents.

   king eagle zool., an eagle aquila heliaca found in
      asia and southeastern europe. it is about as large as the
      golden eagle. some writers believe it to be the imperial
      eagle of rome.

   king hake zool., an american hake phycis regius,
      found in deep water along the atlantic coast.

   king monkey zool., an african monkey colobus
      polycomus, inhabiting sierra leone.

   king mullet zool., a west indian red mullet upeneus
      maculatus; -- so called on account of its great beauty.
      called also goldfish.

   king of terrors, death.

   king parrakeet zool., a handsome australian parrakeet
      platycercys scapulatus, often kept in a cage. its
      prevailing color is bright red, with the back and wings
      bright green, the rump blue, and tail black.

   king penguin zool., any large species of penguin of the
      genus aptenodytes; esp., aptenodytes longirostris, of
      the falkland islands and kerguelen land, and aptenodytes
      patagonica, of patagonia.

   king rail zool., a small american rail rallus
      elegans, living in fresh-water marshes. the upper parts
      are fulvous brown, striped with black; the breast is deep
      cinnamon color.

   king salmon zool., the quinnat. see quinnat.

   king's counsel, or queen's counsel eng. law, barristers
      learned in the law, who have been called within the bar,
      and selected to be the king's or queen's counsel. they
      answer in some measure to the advocates of the revenue
      advocati fisci among the romans. they can not be
      employed against the crown without special license.
      --wharton's law dict.

   king's cushion, a temporary seat made by two persons
      crossing their hands. prov. eng. --halliwell.

   the king's english, correct or current language of good
      speakers; pure english. --shak.

   king's evidence or queen's evidence, testimony in favor
      of the crown by a witness who confesses his guilt as an
      accomplice. see under evidence. eng.

   king's evil, scrofula; -- so called because formerly
      supposed to be healed by the touch of a king.

   king snake zool., a large, nearly black, harmless snake
      ophiobolus getulus of the southern united states; --
      so called because it kills and eats other kinds of snakes,
      including even the rattlesnake.

   king's spear bot., the white asphodel asphodelus
      albus.

   king's yellow, a yellow pigment, consisting essentially of
      sulphide and oxide of arsenic; -- called also yellow
      orpiment.

   king tody zool., a small fly-catching bird eurylaimus
      serilophus of tropical america. the head is adorned with
      a large, spreading, fan-shaped crest, which is bright red,
      edged with black.

   king vulture zool., a large species of vulture
      sarcorhamphus papa, ranging from mexico to paraguay,
      the general color is white. the wings and tail are black,
      and the naked carunculated head and the neck are
      briliantly colored with scarlet, yellow, orange, and blue.
      so called because it drives away other vultures while
      feeding.

   king wood, a wood from brazil, called also violet wood,
      beautifully streaked in violet tints, used in turning and
      small cabinetwork. the tree is probably a species of
      dalbergia. see jacaranda.
      1913 webster
see also:
kin apostolic king apostolic king-at-arms king-of-arms king auk 
king bird of paradise bird of paradise king card king cole king conch 
cassis cameo helmet shell helmet king cotton king crab 
limulus maia squinado paralithodes camtshatica alaskan king crab king crow 
buchanga atra dicrurus macrocercus devil bird king duck somateria spectabilis 
king eagle aquila heliaca king hake phycis regius king monkey 
colobus polycomus king mullet upeneus maculatus goldfish king of terrors 
king parrakeet platycercys scapulatus king penguin aptenodytes aptenodytes longirostris 
aptenodytes patagonica king rail rallus elegans king salmon quinnat 
king's counsel queen's counsel king's cushion the king's english king's evidence 
queen's evidence evidence king's evil king snake ophiobolus getulus 
king's spear asphodelus albus king's yellow yellow orpiment king tody 
eurylaimus serilophus king vulture sarcorhamphus papa king wood violet wood 
dalbergia jacaranda