Roy"al, n. (Auction Bridge)
A royal spade.
Roy"al, n. 1.
Printing and writing papers of particular sizes. See under
paper, n.
2. (Naut.) A small sail immediately
above the topgallant sail. Totten.
3. (Zoöl.) One of the upper or
distal branches of an antler, as the third and fourth tynes of the
antlers of a stag.
4. (Gun.) A small mortar.
5. (Mil.) One of the soldiers of the
first regiment of foot of the British army, formerly called the
Royals, and supposed to be the oldest regular corps in Europe;
-- now called the Royal Scots.
6. An old English coin. See
Rial.
Roy"al (?), a. [OE. roial,
riall, real, OF. roial. reial, F.
royal, fr. L. regalis, fr. rex, regis,
king. See Rich, and cf. regal, real a coin,
Rial.] 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.
(Zoöl.) 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 (Zoöl.), a
large, crested American tern (Sterna maxima). --
Royal tiger. (Zoöl.) 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.