Defn: Belonging to, suitable to, or becoming, a king; characteristic of, resembling, a king; directed or administered by a king; monarchical; royal; sovereign; regal; august; noble; grand. "Kingly magnificence." Sir P. Sidney. "A kingly government." Swift. "The kingly couch." Shak. The kingliest kings are crowned with thorn. G. Massey. Leave kingly backs to cope with kingly cares. Cowper.
Syn. — Regal; royal; monarchical; imperial; august; sovereign; noble; splendid. — Kingly, Regal. Kingly is Anglo-Saxon, and refers especially to the character of a king; regal is Latin, and now relates more to his office. The former is chiefly used of dispositions, feelings, and purposes which are kinglike; as, kingly sentiments; kingly condescension; " a kingly heart for enterprises." Sir P. Sidney. The latter is oftener applied to external state, pomp, etc.; as, regal state, regal title, etc. This distinction is not observed by our early writers, but is gaining ground.
KINGLY
King"ly, adv.
Defn: In a kingly or kinglike manner. Shak.
Low bowed the rest; he, kingly, did but nod. Pore.
Note: Although this citation, one from Paradise Lost, and one from Shakespeare's ll4th Sonnet are given by lexicographers as examples of adverbial use, it is by no means clear that the word is not an adjective in each instance.
KING-POST
King"-post`, n. (Carp.)
Defn: A member of a common form of truss, as a roof truss. It is strictly a tie, intended to prevent the sagging of the tiebeam in the middle. If there are struts, supporting the main rafters, they often bear upon the foot of the king-post. Called also crown-post.
KING'S BENCH
King's Bench. (Law)
Defn: Formerly, the highest court of common law in England; — so called because the king used to sit there in person. It consisted of a chief justice and four puisne, or junior, justices. During the reign of a queen it was called the Queen's Bench. Its jurisdiction was transferred by the judicature acts of 1873 and 1875 to the high court of justice created by that legislation.
KINGSHIP
King"ship, n.