Roy·al a.
 1. Kingly; pertaining to the crown or the sovereign; suitable for a king or queen; regal; as, royal power or prerogative; royal domains; the royal family; royal state.
 2. Noble; generous; magnificent; princely.
    How doth that royal merchant, good Antonio?   --Shak.
 3. Under the patronage of royality; holding a charter granted by the sovereign; as, the Royal Academy of Arts; the Royal Society.
 Battle royal. See under Battle.
 Royal bay Bot., the classic laurel (Laurus nobilis.)
 Royal eagle. Zool. See Golden eagle, under Golden.
 Royal fern Bot., the handsome fern Osmunda regalis. See Osmund.
 Royal mast Naut., the mast next above the topgallant mast and usually the highest on a square-rigged vessel. The royal yard and royal sail are attached to the royal mast.
 Royal metal, an old name for gold.
 Royal palm Bot., a magnificent West Indian palm tree (Oreodoxa regia), lately discovered also in Florida.
 Royal pheasant. See Curassow.
 Royal purple, an intense violet color, verging toward blue.
 Royal tern Zool., a large, crested American tern (Sterna maxima).
 Royal tiger. Zool. See Tiger.
 Royal touch, the touching of a diseased person by the hand of a king, with the view of restoring to health; -- formerly extensively practiced, particularly for the scrofula, or king's evil.
 Syn: -- Kingly; regal; monarchical; imperial; kinglike; princely; august; majestic; superb; splendid; illustrious; noble; magnanimous.
 Tern n.  Zool. Any one of numerous species of long-winged aquatic birds, allied to the gulls, and belonging to Sterna and various allied genera.
 Note: ☞ Terns differ from gulls chiefly in their graceful form, in their weaker and more slender bills and feet, and their longer and more pointed wings. The tail is usually forked. Most of the species are white with the back and wings pale gray, and often with a dark head. The common European tern (Sterna hirundo) is found also in Asia and America. Among other American species are the arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea), the roseate tern (Sterna Dougalli), the least tern (Sterna Antillarum), the royal tern (Sterna maxima), and the sooty tern (Sterna fuliginosa).
 Hooded tern. See Fairy bird, under Fairy.
 Marsh tern, any tern of the genus Hydrochelidon. They frequent marshes and rivers and feed largely upon insects.
 River tern, any tern belonging to Seena or allied genera which frequent rivers.
 Sea tern, any tern of the genus Thalasseus. Terns of this genus have very long, pointed wings, and chiefly frequent seas and the mouths of large rivers.