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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
King \King\ (k[i^]ng), noun A Chinese musical instrument, consisting of resonant stones or metal plates, arranged according to their tones in a frame of wood, and struck with a hammer.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
King \King\, noun [AS. cyng, cyning; akin to OS. kuning, D. koning, OHG. kuning, G. k["o]nig, 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. [root]44. 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.
Kings will be tyrants from policy, when subjects are rebels from principle. --Burke.
There was a State without king or nobles. --R. Choate.
But yonder comes the powerful King of Day, Rejoicing in the east --Thomson.
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.
3. A playing card having the picture of a king[1]; as, the king of diamonds.
4. The chief piece in the game of chess.
5. A crowned man in the game of draughts.
6. pl. The title of two historical books in the Old Testament.
Note: King is often used adjectively, or in combination, to denote pre["e]minence or superiority in some particular; as, kingbird; king crow; king vulture.
{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} (Zo["o]l.), the little auk or sea dove.
{King bird of paradise}. (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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}. (Zo["o]l.) (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}. (Zo["o]l.) (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} (Zo["o]l.), a large and handsome eider duck ({Somateria spectabilis}), inhabiting the arctic regions of both continents.
{King eagle} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), an American hake ({Phycis regius}), found in deep water along the Atlantic coast.
{King monkey} (Zo["o]l.), an African monkey ({Colobus polycomus}), inhabiting Sierra Leone.
{King mullet} (Zo["o]l.), a West Indian red mullet ({Upeneus maculatus}); -- so called on account of its great beauty. Called also {goldfish}.
{King of terrors}, death.
{King parrakeet} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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}.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
King \King\, verb (used without an object) [imp. & p. p. {Kinged}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Kinging}). ] To supply with a king; to make a king of; to raise to royalty. [R.] --Shak.
Those traitorous captains of Israel who kinged themselves by slaying their masters and reigning in their stead. --South.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
king
noun
1: a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom [syn: {male monarch}] [ant: {queen}, {queen}]
2: a competitor who holds a preeminent position [syn: {queen}, {world-beater}]
3: a very wealthy or powerful businessman; "an oil baron" [syn: {baron}, {big businessman}, {business leader}, {magnate}, {mogul}, {power}, {top executive}, {tycoon}]
4: preeminence in a particular category or group or field; "the lion is the king of beasts"
5: United States woman tennis player (born in 1943) [syn: {Billie Jean King}, {Billie Jean Moffitt King}]
6: United States guitar player and singer of the blues (born in 1925) [syn: {B. B. King}, {Riley B King}]
7: United States charismatic civil rights leader and Baptist minister who campaigned against the segregation of Blacks (1929-1968) [syn: {Martin Luther King}, {Martin Luther King Jr.}]
8: a checker that has been moved to the opponent's first row where it is promoted to a piece that is free to move either forward or backward
9: one of the four playing cards in a deck bearing the picture of a king
10: (chess) the weakest but the most important piece
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
117 Moby Thesaurus words for "king": Muslim rulers, Prinz, ace, anointed king, atheling, banker, baron, best bower, big boss, big businessman, bishop, bower, business leader, businessman, captain of industry, cards, castle, chessman, chief, chieftain, clubs, crown prince, crowned head, czar, deck, deuce, diamonds, director, dummy, dynast, electronics king, emir, emperor, enterpriser, entrepreneur, face cards, financier, flush, full house, grand duke, hand, hearts, heir apparent, heir presumptive, high chief, honcho, imperator, industrialist, jack, joker, khan, king-emperor, kinglet, knave, knez, knight, lead, leading light, left bower, little businessman, lord paramount, luminary, magnate, majesty, man, man of commerce, manager, master spirit, merchant prince, mirza, mogul, monarch, overlord, pack, pair, paramount, pawn, petty king, picture cards, piece, playing cards, potentate, prima donna, prince, prince consort, prince regent, princeling, princes of India, principal, queen, regent, rook, round, royal, royal flush, royal personage, royalty, rubber, ruff, ruler, shahzada, sheikh, sherif, singleton, sovereign, spades, star, straight, superstar, suzerain, tetrarch, top dog, top executive, trey, trick, trump, tycoon
From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:
KING, noun A male person commonly known in America as a "crowned head," although he never wears a crown and has usually no head to speak of.
A king, in times long, long gone by, Said to his lazy jester: "If I were you and you were I My moments merrily would fly -- Nor care nor grief to pester."
"The reason, Sire, that you would thrive," The fool said -- "if you'll hear it -- Is that of all the fools alive Who own you for their sovereign, I've The most forgiving spirit." Oogum Bem
From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:
KING'S :EVIL:, noun A malady that was formerly cured by the touch of the sovereign, but has now to be treated by the physicians. Thus 'the most pious Edward" of England used to lay his royal hand upon the ailing subjects and make them whole --
a crowd of wretched souls That stay his cure: their malady convinces The great essay of art; but at his touch, Such sanctity hath Heaven given his hand, They presently amend,
as the "Doctor" in _Macbeth_ hath it. This useful property of the royal hand could, it appears, be transmitted along with other crown properties; for according to "Malcolm,"
'tis spoken To the succeeding royalty he leaves The healing benediction.
But the gift somewhere dropped out of the line of succession: the later sovereigns of England have not been tactual healers, and the disease once honored with the name "king's evil" now bears the humbler one of "scrofula," from _scrofa_, a sow. The date and author of the following epigram are known only to the author of this dictionary, but it is old enough to show that the jest about Scotland's national disorder is not a thing of yesterday.
Ye Kynge his evill in me laye, Wh. he of Scottlande charmed awaye. He layde his hand on mine and sayd: "Be gone!" Ye ill no longer stayd. But O ye wofull plyght in wh. I'm now y-pight: I have ye itche!
The superstition that maladies can be cured by royal taction is dead, but like many a departed conviction it has left a monument of custom to keep its memory green. The practice of forming a line and shaking the President's hand had no other origin, and when that great dignitary bestows his healing salutation on
strangely visited people, All swoln and ulcerous, pitiful to the eye, The mere despair of surgery,
he and his patients are handing along an extinguished torch which once was kindled at the altar-fire of a faith long held by all classes of men. It is a beautiful and edifying "survival" -- one which brings the sainted past close home in our "business and bosoms."
From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:
King, NC (city, FIPS 35760) Location: 36.27798 N, 80.35761 W Population (1990): 4059 (1562 housing units) Area: 9.1 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 27021 King, WI Zip code(s): 54946
From U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000) [gaz-place]:
King, NC -- U.S. city in North Carolina Population (2000): 5952 Housing Units (2000): 2438 Land area (2000): 5.213622 sq. miles (13.503218 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.001845 sq. miles (0.004778 sq. km) Total area (2000): 5.215467 sq. miles (13.507996 sq. km) FIPS code: 35760 Located within: North Carolina (NC), FIPS 37 Location: 36.273555 N, 80.353460 W ZIP Codes (1990): 27021 Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs. Headwords: King, NC King
From U.S. Gazetteer Counties (2000) [gaz-county]:
King -- U.S. County in Texas Population (2000): 356 Housing Units (2000): 174 Land area (2000): 912.292416 sq. miles (2362.826410 sq. km) Water area (2000): 1.036858 sq. miles (2.685451 sq. km) Total area (2000): 913.329274 sq. miles (2365.511861 sq. km) Located within: Texas (TX), FIPS 48 Location: 33.605457 N, 100.254446 W Headwords: King King, TX King County King County, TX
From U.S. Gazetteer Counties (2000) [gaz-county]:
King -- U.S. County in Washington Population (2000): 1737034 Housing Units (2000): 742237 Land area (2000): 2126.044382 sq. miles (5506.429437 sq. km) Water area (2000): 180.483991 sq. miles (467.451370 sq. km) Total area (2000): 2306.528373 sq. miles (5973.880807 sq. km) Located within: Washington (WA), FIPS 53 Location: 47.548745 N, 122.196851 W Headwords: King King, WA King County King County, WA
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:
King is in Scripture very generally used to denote one invested with authority, whether extensive or limited. There were thirty-one kings in Canaan (Josh. 12:9, 24), whom Joshua subdued. Adonibezek subdued seventy kings (Judg. 1:7). In the New Testament the Roman emperor is spoken of as a king (1 Pet. 2:13, 17); and Herod Antipas, who was only a tetrarch, is also called a king (Matt. 14:9; Mark 6:22). This title is applied to God (1 Tim. 1:17), and to Christ, the Son of God (1 Tim. 6:15, 16; Matt. 27:11). The people of God are also called "kings" (Dan. 7:22, 27; Matt. 19:28; Rev. 1:6, etc.). Death is called the "king of terrors" (Job 18:14). Jehovah was the sole King of the Jewish nation (1 Sam. 8:7; Isa. 33:22). But there came a time in the history of that people when a king was demanded, that they might be like other nations (1 Sam. 8:5). The prophet Samuel remonstrated with them, but the people cried out, "Nay, but we will have a king over us." The misconduct of Samuel's sons was the immediate cause of this demand. The Hebrew kings did not rule in their own right, nor in name of the people who had chosen them, but partly as servants and partly as representatives of Jehovah, the true King of Israel (1 Sam. 10:1). The limits of the king's power were prescribed (1 Sam. 10:25). The officers of his court were, (1) the recorder or remembrancer (2 Sam. 8:16; 1 Kings 4:3); (2) the scribe (2 Sam. 8:17; 20:25); (3) the officer over the house, the chief steward (Isa. 22:15); (4) the "king's friend," a confidential companion (1 Kings 4:5); (5) the keeper of the wardrobe (2 Kings 22:14); (6) captain of the bodyguard (2 Sam. 20:23); (7) officers over the king's treasures, etc. (1 Chr. 27:25-31); (8) commander-in-chief of the army (1 Chr. 27:34); (9) the royal counsellor (1 Chr. 27:32; 2 Sam. 16:20-23). (For catalogue of kings of Israel and Judah see chronological table in Appendix.)
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