from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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.
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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.
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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.
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5. A crowned man in the game of draughts.
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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.
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{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}.
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from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Swift \Swift\, n.
1. The current of a stream. [R.] --Walton.
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2. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of small, long-winged,
insectivorous birds of the family {Micropodidae}. In form
and habits the swifts resemble swallows, but they are
destitute of complex vocal muscles and are not singing
birds, but belong to a widely different group allied to
the humming birds.
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Note: The common European swift ({Cypselus apus} syn.
{Micropus apus}) nests in church steeples and under the
tiles of roofs, and is noted for its rapid flight and
shrill screams. It is called also {black martin},
{black swift}, {hawk swallow}, {devil bird},
{swingdevil}, {screech martin}, and {shriek owl}. The
common American, or chimney, swift ({Chaetura
pelagica}) has sharp rigid tips to the tail feathers.
It attaches its nest to the inner walls of chimneys,
and is called also {chimney swallow}. The Australian
swift ({Chaetura caudacuta}) also has sharp naked tips
to the tail quills. The European Alpine swift
({Cypselus melba}) is whitish beneath, with a white
band across the breast. The common Indian swift is
{Cypselus affinis}. See also {Palm swift}, under
{Palm}, and {Tree swift}, under {Tree}.
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3. (Zool.) Any one of several species of lizards, as the pine
lizard.
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4. (Zool.) The ghost moth. See under {Ghost}.
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5. [Cf. {Swivel}.] A reel, or turning instrument, for winding
yarn, thread, etc.; -- used chiefly in the plural.
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6. The main card cylinder of a flax-carding machine.
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from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Devil \Dev"il\, n. [AS. de['o]fol, de['o]ful; akin to G. ?eufel,
Goth. diaba['u]lus; all fr. L. diabolus the devil, Gr. ? the
devil, the slanderer, fr. ? to slander, calumniate, orig., to
throw across; ? across + ? to throw, let fall, fall; cf. Skr.
gal to fall. Cf. {Diabolic}.]
1. The Evil One; Satan, represented as the tempter and
spiritual of mankind.
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[Jesus] being forty days tempted of the devil.
--Luke iv. 2.
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That old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which
deceiveth the whole world. --Rev. xii. 9.
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2. An evil spirit; a demon.
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A dumb man possessed with a devil. --Matt. ix.
32.
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3. A very wicked person; hence, any great evil. "That devil
Glendower." "The devil drunkenness." --Shak.
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Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a
devil? --John vi. 70.
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4. An expletive of surprise, vexation, or emphasis, or,
ironically, of negation. [Low]
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The devil a puritan that he is, . . . but a
timepleaser. --Shak.
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The things, we know, are neither rich nor rare,
But wonder how the devil they got there. --Pope.
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5. (Cookery) A dish, as a bone with the meat, broiled and
excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper.
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Men and women busy in baking, broiling, roasting
oysters, and preparing devils on the gridiron. --Sir
W. Scott.
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6. (Manuf.) A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton,
etc.
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{Blue devils}. See under {Blue}.
{Cartesian devil}. See under {Cartesian}.
{Devil bird} (Zool.), one of two or more South African drongo
shrikes ({Edolius retifer}, and {Edolius remifer}),
believed by the natives to be connected with sorcery.
{Devil may care}, reckless, defiant of authority; -- used
adjectively. --Longfellow.
{Devil's apron} (Bot.), the large kelp ({Laminaria
saccharina}, and {Laminaria longicruris}) of the Atlantic
ocean, having a blackish, leathery expansion, shaped
somewhat like an apron.
{Devil's coachhorse}. (Zool.)
(a) The black rove beetle ({Ocypus olens}). [Eng.]
(b) A large, predacious, hemipterous insect ({Prionotus
cristatus}); the wheel bug. [U.S.]
{Devil's darning-needle}. (Zool.) See under {Darn}, v. t.
{Devil's fingers}, {Devil's hand} (Zool.), the common British
starfish ({Asterias rubens}); -- also applied to a sponge
with stout branches. [Prov. Eng., Irish & Scot.]
{Devil's riding-horse} (Zool.), the American mantis ({Mantis
Carolina}).
{The Devil's tattoo}, a drumming with the fingers or feet.
"Jack played the Devil's tattoo on the door with his boot
heels." --F. Hardman (Blackw. Mag.).
{Devil worship}, worship of the power of evil; -- still
practiced by barbarians who believe that the good and evil
forces of nature are of equal power.
{Printer's devil}, the youngest apprentice in a printing
office, who runs on errands, does dirty work (as washing
the ink rollers and sweeping), etc. "Without fearing the
printer's devil or the sheriff's officer." --Macaulay.
{Tasmanian devil} (Zool.), a very savage carnivorous
marsupial of Tasmania ({Dasyurus ursinus} syn. {Diabolus
ursinus}).
{To play devil with}, to molest extremely; to ruin. [Low]
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