noun
king
KIHNGG
noun
1
A male monarch who rules a country, typically inheriting the position by birth.
"The king was crowned in a grand ceremony at the cathedral."
"The young prince will one day become king."
2
The most important or dominant person or thing in a particular field.
"He was regarded as the undisputed king of jazz guitar."
3
The most important piece in chess, which must be protected from checkmate to avoid losing the game.
"She moved her king to safety in the corner of the board."
4
A playing card ranked just below the ace, showing an image of a king.
"He drew the king of hearts on his final turn."
verb
1
To make someone king; to crown as monarch.
"He was kinged in a ceremony attended by nobles from across the land."
How to Use King
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe male ruler of a country, or, more loosely, whoever or whatever is dominant in a certain area.
Common pairings
crown a king
king of the castle
king-size bed
Word Forms
kinged past tense, kings plural, Kings plural, Kings plural, kings singular
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The _____ was crowned in a grand ceremony at the cathedral.
Etymology
From Old English cyning, ultimately from a Germanic root meaning "of the kin/clan" — a king was originally seen as leader of the people or family group, not just ruler of land.