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guide to the dictionary

king

(kĭng)

1. A male sovereign.

a. One that is supreme or preeminent in a particular group, category, or sphere: "In many countries, soccer is the king of sports" (Cameron W. Barr).

b. A man chosen as the winner of a contest or the honorary head of an event: a homecoming king.

3. Games

a. Abbr. K A playing card bearing the figure of a king, ranking above a queen.

b. Abbr. K The principal chess piece, which can move one square in any direction and must be protected against checkmate.

c. A piece in checkers that has been moved to the last row on the opponent's side of the board and been crowned, thus becoming free to move both forward and backward.

4. Kings(used with a sing. verb) See Table at Bible.

5. A king-size bed.

adj.

1. Principal or chief, as in size or importance.

2. Of or relating to a king-size bed: king sheets; a king bed skirt.

tr.v. kinged, king·ing, kings
Games

To make (a piece in checkers) into a king; crown.

[Middle English, from Old English cyning; see genə- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

King, Riley Known as "B.B." 1925-2015.

American musician whose distinctive guitar solos and soulful vocal style have helped to ensure the continuing popularity of traditional blues music.

King, (William Lyon) Mackenzie 1874-1950.

Canadian politician who three times served as prime minister (1921-1926, 1926-1930, and 1935-1948).

King, Stephen Edwin Born 1947.

American novelist best known for works of horror such as The Shining (1977) and It (1986).

(click for a larger image)

Stephen King

photographed in 2007

King, Richard 1825-1885.

American steamboat captain and rancher whose 600,000-acre ranch in Texas was the largest in the United States.

King, Martin Luther, Jr. 1929-1968.

American cleric whose eloquence and commitment to nonviolent tactics formed the foundation of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Among the many peaceful demonstrations he led was the 1963 March on Washington, at which he delivered his "I have a dream" speech. He won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize and was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968.

(click for a larger image)

Martin Luther King, Jr.

at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC, during the March on Washington

August 28, 1963

King, Coretta Scott 1927-2006.

American civil rights leader noted for her work on behalf of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change after the assassination of her husband, Martin Luther King, Jr. (1968).

King, Billie Jean Moffitt Born 1943.

American tennis player who won 20 titles at Wimbledon (6 singles, 10 women's doubles, and 4 mixed doubles) and 4 US Open singles championships (1967, 1971, 1972, and 1974).

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices