King, n. [AS. cyng,
cyning; akin to OS. kuning, D. koning, OHG.
kuning, G. könig, 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. √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; 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.
☞ King is often used adjectively, or in combination,
to denote preëminence 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 (Zoöl.),
the little auk or sea dove. -- King bird of
paradise. (Zoöl.), 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 (Zoöl.), 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. (Zoöl.)
(a) The limulus or horseshoe crab. See
Limulus. (b) The large European
spider crab or thornback (Maia squinado). -- King
crow. (Zoöl.) (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
(Zoöl.), a large and handsome eider duck
(Somateria spectabilis), inhabiting the arctic regions of both
continents. -- King eagle (Zoöl.),
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 (Zoöl.), an American hake (Phycis
regius), found in deep water along the Atlantic coast. --
King monkey (Zoöl.), an African
monkey (Colobus polycomus), inhabiting Sierra Leone. --
King mullet (Zoöl.), a West Indian
red mullet (Upeneus maculatus); -- so called on account of its
great beauty. Called also goldfish. -- King of
terrors, death. -- King
parrakeet (Zoöl.), 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
(Zoöl.), any large species of penguin of the genus
Aptenodytes; esp., A. longirostris, of the Falkland
Islands and Kerguelen Land, and A. Patagonica, of
Patagonia. -- King rail (Zoöl.),
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 (Zoöl.), the quinnat. See
Quinnat. -- King's, 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 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 (Zoöl.), 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 (Zoöl.), 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
(Zoöl.), 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.