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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Noble; generous; magnificent; princely. [ 1913 Webster ]

How doth that royal merchant, good Antonio? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Under the patronage of royality; holding a charter granted by the sovereign; as, the Royal Academy of Arts; the Royal Society. [ 1913 Webster ]

Battle royal. See under Battle. --
Royal bay (Bot.), the classic laurel (Laurus nobilis.) --
Royal eagle. (Zool.) 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 (Zool.), a large, crested American tern (Sterna maxima). --
Royal tiger. (Zool.) 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Kingly; regal; monarchical; imperial; kinglike; princely; august; majestic; superb; splendid; illustrious; noble; magnanimous. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Printing and writing papers of particular sizes. See under paper, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) A small sail immediately above the topgallant sail. Totten. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Zool.) One of the upper or distal branches of an antler, as the third and fourth tynes of the antlers of a stag. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Gun.) A small mortar. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. An old English coin. See Rial. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Auction Bridge) A royal spade. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. A petty or powerless king. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

there were at this time two other royalets, as only kings by his leave. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. royalisme. ] the principles or conduct of royalists. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. royaliste. ] An adherent of a king (as of Charles I. in England, or of the Bourbons in france); one attached to monarchical government. [ 1913 Webster ]

Where Ca'ndish fought, the Royalists prevailed. Waller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of making loyal to a king. [ R. ] Saintsbury. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. to make royal. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a royal or kingly manner; like a king; as becomes a king. [ 1913 Webster ]

His body shall be royally interred. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Auction Bridge) A spade when spades are trumps under the condition that every trick over six taken by the successful bidder has a score value of 9; -- usually in pl. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n.; pl. Royalties [ OF. roialté, royaulté, F. royauté. See Royal, and cf. Regality. ] 1. The state of being royal; the condition or quality of a royal person; kingship; kingly office; sovereignty. [ 1913 Webster ]

Royalty by birth was the sweetest way of majesty. Holyday. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The person of a king or sovereign; majesty; as, in the presence of royalty. [ 1913 Webster ]

For thus his royalty doth speak. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An emblem of royalty; -- usually in the plural, meaning regalia. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Wherefore do I assume
These royalties, and not refuse to reign? Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Kingliness; spirit of regal authority. [ 1913 Webster ]

In his royalty of nature
Reigns that which would be fear'd. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Domain; province; sphere. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. That which is due to a sovereign, as a seigniorage on gold and silver coined at the mint, metals taken from mines, etc.; the tax exacted in lieu of such share; imperiality. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. A share of the product or profit (as of a mine, forest, etc.), reserved by the owner for permitting another to use the property. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. Hence (Com.), a duty paid by a manufacturer to the owner of a patent or a copyright at a certain rate for each article manufactured; or, a percentage paid to the owner of an article by one who hires the use of it. [ 1913 Webster ]