King \King\ (k[i^]ng), n.
   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.
   [1913 Webster]

	

	King \King\, n. [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.
      [1913 Webster]

            Kings will be tyrants from policy, when subjects are
            rebels from principle.                --Burke.
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            There was a State without king or nobles. --R.
                                                  Choate.
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            But yonder comes the powerful King of Day,
            Rejoicing in the east                 --Thomson.
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   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 king[1]; as, the
      king of diamonds.
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   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.
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   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.
         [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]

	

	King \King\, v. i. [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.
   [1913 Webster]

         Those traitorous captains of Israel who kinged
         themselves by slaying their masters and reigning in
         their stead.                             --South.
   [1913 Webster]

	

	king
     n 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

	

	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

	

	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.)

	

	KING. The chief magistrate of a kingdom, vested usually with the executive 
power. 
     2. The following table of the reigns of English and British kings and 
queens, commencing with the Reports, is added, to assist the student in many 
points of chronology. 
                                   Accession.
 Henry III.............................................. 1216
 Edward I............................................... 1272
 Edward II.............................................. 1307
 Edward III............................................. 1307
 Richard II............................................. 1377
 Henry IV..............................................  1399
 Henry V...............................................  1413
 Henry VI..............................................  1422
 Edward IV.............................................  1461
 Edward V..............................................  1483
 Richard III...........................................  1483
 Henry VII.............................................  1485
 Henry VIII............................................  1509
 Edward VI.............................................  1547
 Mary..................................................  1553
 Elizabeth.............................................  1558
 James I...............................................  1603
 Charles I.............................................  1625
 Charles II............................................  1660
 James II..............................................  1685
 William III...........................................  1689
 Anne..................................................  1702
 George I..............................................  1714
 George II.............................................  1727
 George III............................................  1760
 George IV.............................................  1820
 William IV............................................  1830
 Victoria..............................................  1837
 Vide article Reports.

	

	KING, n.  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

	

	KING'S :EVIL:, n.  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."

	

	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

	

	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

	

	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

	

	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