king

king

noun \ˈkiŋ\

Definition of KING

1

a : a male monarch of a major territorial unit; especially : one whose position is hereditary and who rules for life

b : a paramount chief

2

capitalized : god, christ

3

: one that holds a preeminent position; especially : a chief among competitors

4

: the principal piece of each color in chess having the power to move ordinarily one square in any direction and to capture opposing pieces but being obliged never to enter or remain in check

5

: a playing card marked with a stylized figure of a king

6

: a checker that has been crowned

7

: chinook salmon

Examples of KING

1. He pledged his loyalty to the king and queen.
2. the reign of King James
3. He became king at a young age.
4. He's widely regarded as the king of soul music.
5. He was voted king of the prom.
6. The lion is known as the king of the jungle.
7. She won the game by checkmating his king.

Origin of KING

Middle English, from Old English cyning; akin to Old High German kuning king, Old English cynn kin

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to KING

Synonyms

baron, captain, czar (also tsar or tzar), magnate, lion, lord, mogul, monarch, Napoleon, prince, tycoon

Related Words

big boy, big cheese, bigfoot, biggie, big gun, big shot, big wheel, bigwig, fat cat, figure, heavy, heavyweight, honcho, kahuna, main man, mover and shaker, nabob, nawab, notable, personage, pooh-bah (also poo-bah), supremo [chiefly British], VIP; celebrity, personality, star, superstar; deity, demigod, god

Near Antonyms

half-pint, lightweight, small-timer; inferior, subordinate, underling; nobody, nothing, zero

Other Foreign Functionary Terms

count, despot, emir, wardrobe, yeoman

Rhymes with KING

bring, Ching, cling, ding, fling, ling, Ming, ping, ring, sing, sling, spring, sting, string, swing, thing, wing, wring, zing

King

biographical name \ˈkiŋ\

Definition of KING

B. B. 1925–     originally Riley B. King Am. blues musician

King

biographical name

Definition of KING

Billie Jean 1943–     née Moffitt Am. tennis player

King

biographical name

Definition of KING

Ernest Joseph 1878–1956 Am. admiral

King

biographical name

Definition of KING

Martin Luther, Jr. 1929–1968 Am. clergyman & civil rights leader

King

biographical name

Definition of KING

Rufus 1755–1827 Am. polit. & diplomat

King

biographical name

Definition of KING

Stephen (Edwin) 1947–     Am. writer

King

biographical name

Definition of KING

William Lyon Mackenzie 1874–1950 Canad. statesman; prime min. (1921–26; 1926–30; 1935–48)

King

biographical name

Definition of KING

William Rufus de Vane 1786–1853 Am. polit.; vice pres. of the United States (1853)

king

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Male sovereign over a nation or territory, of higher rank than any other ruler except an emperor. A king's female counterpart is a queen. Some kings have been elected, as in medieval Germany, but most inherit the position. The community may concentrate all spiritual and political power in the sovereign, or power may be shared constitutionally with other government institutions. Some kings are heads of state but not heads of government. In the past, some were regarded as semidivine representatives of God on Earth; others were viewed as gods in their own right or supernatural beings who became gods after death (see divine kingship). Since the 17th century the power held by monarchs, particularly those in western Europe, has been widely regarded as deriving from the people. See also constitutional monarchy; khan; monarchy; pharaoh; tsar.