King, n.
 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.”
    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 {king1}; 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.
 Note: ☞ 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 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.


 Lim·u·lus n.; pl. Limuli   Zool. The only existing genus of Merostomata. It includes only a few species from the East Indies, and one (Limulus polyphemus) from the Atlantic coast of North America. Called also Molucca crab, king crab, horseshoe crab, and horsefoot.

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 Horse n.
 1. Zool. A hoofed quadruped of the genus Equus; especially, the domestic horse (Equus caballus), which was domesticated in Egypt and Asia at a very early period.  It has six broad molars, on each side of each jaw, with six incisors, and two canine teeth, both above and below. The mares usually have the canine teeth rudimentary or wanting. The horse differs from the true asses, in having a long, flowing mane, and the tail bushy to the base. Unlike the asses it has callosities, or chestnuts, on all its legs. The horse excels in strength, speed, docility, courage, and nobleness of character, and is used for drawing, carrying, bearing a rider, and like purposes.
 Note: ☞ Many varieties, differing in form, size, color, gait, speed, etc., are known, but all are believed to have been derived from the same original species. It is supposed to have been a native of the plains of Central Asia, but the wild species from which it was derived is not certainly known. The feral horses of America are domestic horses that have run wild; and it is probably true that most of those of Asia have a similar origin. Some of the true wild Asiatic horses do, however, approach the domestic horse in several characteristics.
    Several species of fossil (Equus) are known from the later Tertiary formations of Europe and America. The fossil species of other genera of the family Equidæ are also often called horses, in general sense.
 2. The male of the genus Equus, in distinction from the female or male; usually, a castrated male.
 3. Mounted soldiery; cavalry; -- used without the plural termination; as, a regiment of horse; -- distinguished from foot.
    The armies were appointed, consisting of twenty-five thousand horse and foot.   --Bacon.
 4. A frame with legs, used to support something; as, a clotheshorse, a sawhorse, etc.
 5. A frame of timber, shaped like a horse, on which soldiers were made to ride for punishment.
 6. Anything, actual or figurative, on which one rides as on a horse; a hobby.
 7. Mining A mass of earthy matter, or rock of the same character as the wall rock, occurring in the course of a vein, as of coal or ore; hence, to take horse -- said of a vein -- is to divide into branches for a distance.
 8. Naut. (a) See Footrope, a. (b) A breastband for a leadsman. (c) An iron bar for a sheet traveler to slide upon. (d) A jackstay. --W. C. Russell. --Totten.
 9. Student Slang (a) A translation or other illegitimate aid in study or examination; -- called also trot, pony, Dobbin. (b) Horseplay; tomfoolery.
 Note: ☞ Horse is much used adjectively and in composition to signify of, or having to do with, a horse or horses, like a horse, etc.; as, horse collar, horse dealer or horse░dealer, horsehoe, horse jockey; and hence, often in the sense of strong, loud, coarse, etc.; as, horselaugh, horse nettle or horse-nettle, horseplay, horse ant, etc.
 Black horse, Blood horse, etc. See under Black, etc.
 Horse aloes, caballine aloes.
 Horse ant Zool., a large ant (Formica rufa); -- called also horse emmet.
 Horse artillery, that portion of the artillery in which the cannoneers are mounted, and which usually serves with the cavalry; flying artillery.
 Horse balm Bot., a strong-scented labiate plant (Collinsonia Canadensis), having large leaves and yellowish flowers.
 Horse bean Bot., a variety of the English or Windsor bean (Faba vulgaris), grown for feeding horses.
 Horse boat, a boat for conveying horses and cattle, or a boat propelled by horses.
 Horse bot. Zool. See Botfly, and Bots.
 Horse box, a railroad car for transporting valuable horses, as hunters. [Eng.]
 Horse breaker or Horse trainer, one employed in subduing or training horses for use.
 Horse car. (a) A railroad car drawn by horses. See under Car. (b) A car fitted for transporting horses.
 Horse cassia Bot., a leguminous plant (Cassia Javanica), bearing long pods, which contain a black, catharic pulp, much used in the East Indies as a horse medicine.
 Horse cloth, a cloth to cover a horse.
 Horse conch Zool., a large, spiral, marine shell of the genus Triton. See Triton.
 Horse courser. (a) One that runs horses, or keeps horses for racing. --Johnson. (b) A dealer in horses. [Obs.] --Wiseman.
 Horse crab Zool., the Limulus; -- called also horsefoot, horsehoe crab, and king crab.
 Horse crevallé Zool., the cavally.
 Horse emmet Zool., the horse ant.
 Horse finch Zool., the chaffinch. [Prov. Eng.]
 Horse gentian Bot., fever root.
 Horse iron Naut., a large calking iron.
 Horse latitudes, a space in the North Atlantic famous for calms and baffling winds, being between the westerly winds of higher latitudes and the trade winds. --Ham. Nav. Encyc.
 Horse mackrel. Zool. (a) The common tunny (Orcynus thunnus), found on the Atlantic coast of Europe and America, and in the Mediterranean. (b) The bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix). (c) The scad. (d) The name is locally applied to various other fishes, as the California hake, the black candlefish, the jurel, the bluefish, etc.
 Horse marine Naut., an awkward, lubbery person; one of a mythical body of marine cavalry. [Slang]
 Horse mussel Zool., a large, marine mussel (Modiola modiolus), found on the northern shores of Europe and America.
 Horse nettle Bot., a coarse, prickly, American herb, the Solanum Carolinense.
 Horse parsley. Bot. See Alexanders.
 Horse purslain Bot., a coarse fleshy weed of tropical America (Trianthema monogymnum).
 Horse race, a race by horses; a match of horses in running or trotting.
 Horse racing, the practice of racing with horses.
 Horse railroad, a railroad on which the cars are drawn by horses; -- in England, and sometimes in the United States, called a tramway.
 Horse run Civil Engin., a device for drawing loaded wheelbarrows up an inclined plane by horse power.
 Horse sense, strong common sense. [Colloq. U.S.]
 Horse soldier, a cavalryman.
 Horse sponge Zool., a large, coarse, commercial sponge (Spongia equina).
 Horse stinger Zool., a large dragon fly. [Prov. Eng.]
 Horse sugar Bot., a shrub of the southern part of the United States (Symplocos tinctoria), whose leaves are sweet, and good for fodder.
 Horse tick Zool., a winged, dipterous insect (Hippobosca equina), which troubles horses by biting them, and sucking their blood; -- called also horsefly, horse louse, and forest fly.
 Horse vetch Bot., a plant of the genus Hippocrepis (Hippocrepis comosa), cultivated for the beauty of its flowers; -- called also horsehoe vetch, from the peculiar shape of its pods.
 Iron horse, a locomotive. [Colloq.]
 Salt horse, the sailor's name for salt beef.
 To look a gift horse in the mouth, to examine the mouth of a horse which has been received as a gift, in order to ascertain his age; -- hence, to accept favors in a critical and thankless spirit. --Lowell.
 To take horse. (a) To set out on horseback. --Macaulay. (b) To be covered, as a mare. (c) See definition 7 (above).


 king crab
      n 1: meat of large cold-water crab; mainly leg meat [syn: {Alaska
           king crab, Alaskan king crab, Alaska crab]
      2: large European spider crab [syn: European spider crab, {Maja
         squinado]
      3: large edible crab of northern Pacific waters especially
         along the coasts of Alaska and Japan [syn: Alaska crab,
         Alaskan king crab, Alaska king crab, {Paralithodes
         camtschatica]
      4: large marine arthropod of the Atlantic coast of North
         America having a domed carapace that is shaped like a
         horseshoe and a stiff pointed tail; a living fossil
         related to the wood louse [syn: horseshoe crab, {Limulus
         polyphemus, Xiphosurus polyphemus]