a male sovereign or monarch; a man who holds by life tenure, and usually by hereditary right, the chief authority over a country and people.
(initial capital letter) God or Christ.
a person or thing preeminent in its class: a king of actors.
a playing card bearing a picture of a king.
Chess. the chief piece of each color, whose checkmating is the object of the game; moved one square at a time in any direction.
Checkers. a piece that has been moved entirely across the board and has been crowned, thus allowing it to be moved in any direction.
Entomology. a fertile male termite.
a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter K.
verb (used with object)
to make a king of; cause to be or become a king; crown.
Informal. to design or make (a product) king-size: The tobacco company is going to king its cigarettes.
verb (used without object)
to reign as king.
adjective
Informal. king-size.
Verb Phrases
king it,to play the king; behave in an imperious or pretentious manner: He kinged it over all the other kids on the block.
Origin of king
before 900; Middle English; Old English cyng, cyni(n)g; cognate with German König,Dutch koning,Old Norse konungr,Swedish konung,Danish konge.See kin, -ing3
OTHER WORDS FROM king
kingless,adjectiveking·less·ness,nounkinglike,adjectiveoutking,verb (used with object)
King agreed to this arrangement but did not reveal it to his followers.
Dr. King Goes to Hollywood: The Flawed History of ‘Selma’|Gary May|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
We tend to think not, but the rise of King, Kennedy, and Lincoln was unlikely, too.
No Gods, No Cops, No Masters|James Poulos|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And now Reggaeton is king in Cuba as it is in most of the Caribbean.
Cuban Hip-Hop Was Born in Alamar|Daniel Levin|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The bye bye is being sung, incidentally, by mothers to their babies condemned to death by King Herod.
Yes, I Like Christmas Music. Stop Laughing.|Michael Tomasky|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A player who gives the odds of a piece, may give it each game from the king's or queen's side, at his option.
Mrs. Hale's Receipts for the Million|Sarah Josepha Hale
The King looked round with a curious eye, and elsewhere, before departing.
The Mesmerist's Victim|Alexandre Dumas
The King subsequently sailed on his intended visit to the sister island, and arrived off the coast in due course.
Memoirs of the Court of George IV. 1820-1830 (Vol 1)|Duke of Buckingham and Chandos
A few days after this passed, ambassadors came from Cotys, king of Thrace, bringing money to ransom his son and the said hostages.
The History of Rome, Books 37 to the End|Titus Livius
The illustrious guide—the King of the Law—has left us; the whole world is empty and afflicted.
Buddhism, In its Connexion With Brahmanism and Hinduism, and In Its Contrast with Christianity|Sir Monier Monier-Williams
British Dictionary definitions for king (1 of 2)
king
/ (kɪŋ) /
noun
a male sovereign prince who is the official ruler of an independent state; monarchRelated adjectives: royal, regal, monarchical
a ruler or chiefking of the fairies
(in combination)the pirate king
a person, animal, or thing considered as the best or most important of its kind
(as modifier)a king bull
any of four playing cards in a pack, one for each suit, bearing the picture of a king
the most important chess piece, although theoretically the weakest, being able to move only one square at a time in any directionSee also check (def. 30), checkmate
draughtsa piece that has moved entirely across the board and has been crowned, after which it may move backwards as well as forwards
Old English cyning; related to Old High German kunig king, Danish konge
British Dictionary definitions for king (2 of 2)
King
/ (kɪŋ) /
noun
B.B., real name Riley B. King. born 1925, US blues singer and guitarist
Billie Jean (née Moffitt). born 1943, US tennis player: winner of twelve Grand Slam singles titles, including Wimbledon (1966–68, 1972–73, and 1975) and the US Open (1967, 1971–72, and 1974)
Martin Luther. 1929–68, US Baptist minister and civil-rights leader. He advocated nonviolence in his campaigns against the segregation of Black people in the South: assassinated: Nobel Peace Prize 1964
Stephen (Edwin). born 1947, US writer esp of horror novels; his books, many of which have been filmed, include Carrie (1974), The Shining (1977), Misery (1988), and Everything's Eventual (2002)
William Lyon Mackenzie. 1874–1950, Canadian Liberal statesman; prime minister (1921–26; 1926–30; 1935–48)
Learn More About These Powerful Words From Martin Luther King Jr.Martin Luther King Jr was an iconic civil rights activist and magnificent orator. Honor his legacy by examining some of his most powerful words.