(a) A king, monarch; (b) in titles; ~ of kinges, supreme king, emperor; (c) one of the wise men of Mat. 2; also, a representation of one of them; thre kinges of coloin; ~ pleie, a play dealing with the three wise men; (d) kinges, bok of kinges, one of the four Books of Kings in the Vulgate Bible (corresponding to I & II Samuel and I & II Kings); (e) a reigning queen; (f) in proverbial expressions; (g) combs. & cpds.: litel ~, the European wren Nannus troglodytes; a governor [glossing Latin regulus]; ~ ale, a feast in honor of the king (on his birthday, etc.); ~ devel, principal devil; ~ harri peni, a penny minted under Henry IV or V; ~ lond, a kingdom.

In combs. with sg. gen. kinges: (a) of kings in general: kinges commaundement, royal power; kinges consoude, one of the larkspurs, perhaps forking larkspur Consolida regalis [cp. AF consoude real]; kinges marke, birthmark signifying royalty [cp. compound kinemerke n.]; kinges sete, a throne; kinges wond (yerde), a scepter; (b) of major departments or concerns of the English government: kinges counseil [see counseil 3. (a)]; kinges frendshipe, foreign parts at peace with the king; kinges navie; (c) of public administration: kinges cri, a royal proclamation; kinges daunger; kinges constable, an officer to keep the king's peace; kinges custumer, a customs officer; kinges pes, the general peace, right of freedom from violence; kinges sergeaunt, a sub-bailiff; kinges standard, an official measure of length [cp.RHS ser.3.41 p.41: ulna Regis]; kinges wacche, a watch to keep the public peace; kinges ward, a minor or other ward under the king; kinges weght, an official standard weight; kinges wei (strete, heigh wei), the king's highway; (d) of the administration of justice: kinges chauncerie [see chauncerie 1. (a)]; kinges court, a court presided over by the king or by a judge appointed by him; kinges justice [see justice 5. (a)]; kinges keyes, crowbars and hammers to force entry in pursuance of a writ; (e) of the fiscal or monetary system: kinges eschaunge, a place where bullion could be legally exchanged for money; kinges escheker [see escheker 2. (a) & (b)]; kinges minet, the royal mint; kinges mol, a rent; kinges purs (burse), the public treasury; kinges service, payment due to the king on land, esp. scutage; kinges silver, a tax; kinges take (taxe), tax due to the king; (f) in minor offices and terms connected with the king personally, or his household: kinges archer, kinges corser, kinges hors; kinges ivel (siknesse), scrofula; kinges mouth, preparation of food for the king; kinges pot, a maintenance for life (at Battle Abbey); kinges silver, silver blessed by the king; kinges werkes, royal building; (g) civil, as opposed to ecclesiastical: kinges laue; (h) kinges note, a popular song or hymn [perhaps a sequence of St. Edmund; see Fletcher Collins, Speculum 8]; (i) kinges table, a course of stone along a wall; kinges wort, q.v..

A ruler in the supernatural realm: (a) God, Christ; ~ of blis (glori, grace, joie, lif, resoun, thrones, worldes), ~ of (over) kinges, heigh (heighest, hevenli) ~, (heigh) ~ of heven, aller kinges (kinge, kingene) ~; (b) the Devil; Jupiter; the god of love; god of the underworld; ~ of fairie; ~ of windes, Aeolus, god of the winds; (c) one of the elect in heaven.

(a) The chief authority on a subject; leading exponent or practitioner; (b) the most excellent thing of its kind, best, most valuable, most necessary; ~ of bestes, the lion; ~ of corn, the best grain, wheat; ~ of kinde, the sun; ~ of stones, most precious stone; ~ of veneri, the best animal to hunt; (c) one having dominion, leader; also, leader of a flock of birds; the queen bee; ~ of harlotes [see harlot 4. (b)]; (d) ruling principle.

The king in chess.

(a) In surnames; (b) in place names [see Smith PNElem. 1.123-4].