regula

n. [ LL. regularis: cf. F. régulier. See Regular, a. ] 1. (R. C. Ch.) A member of any religious order or community who has taken the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and who has been solemnly recognized by the church. Bp. Fitzpatrick. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mil.) A soldier belonging to a permanent or standing army; -- chiefly used in the plural. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. regularis, fr. regula a rule, fr. regere to guide, to rule: cf. F. régulier. See Rule. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Conformed to a rule; agreeable to an established rule, law, principle, or type, or to established customary forms; normal; symmetrical; as, a regular verse in poetry; a regular piece of music; a regular verb; regular practice of law or medicine; a regular building. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Governed by rule or rules; steady or uniform in course, practice, or occurence; not subject to unexplained or irrational variation; returning at stated intervals; steadily pursued; orderlly; methodical; as, the regular succession of day and night; regular habits. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Constituted, selected, or conducted in conformity with established usages, rules, or discipline; duly authorized; permanently organized; as, a regular meeting; a regular physican; a regular nomination; regular troops. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Belonging to a monastic order or community; as, regular clergy, in distinction dfrom the secular clergy. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Thorough; complete; unmitigated; as, a regular humbug. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Bot. & Zool.) Having all the parts of the same kind alike in size and shape; as, a regular flower; a regular sea urchin. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Crystallog.) Same as Isometric. [ 1913 Webster ]

Regular polygon (Geom.), a plane polygon which is both equilateral and equiangular. --
Regular polyhedron (Geom.), a polyhedron whose faces are equal regular polygons. There are five regular polyhedrons, -- the tetrahedron, the hexahedron, or cube, the octahedron, the dodecahedron, and the icosahedron. --
Regular sales (Stock Exchange), sales of stock deliverable on the day after the transaction. --
Regular troops, troops of a standing or permanent army; -- opposed to militia. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Normal; orderly; methodical. See Normal. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL. ] (Zool.) A division of Echini which includes the circular, or regular, sea urchins. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. régularité. ] The condition or quality of being regular; as, regularity of outline; the regularity of motion. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To cause to become regular; to regulate. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a regular manner; in uniform order; methodically; in due order or time. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Regularity. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Regulated p. pr. & vb. n. Regulating. ] [ L. regulatus, p. p. of regulare, fr. regula. See Regular. ] 1. To adjust by rule, method, or established mode; to direct by rule or restriction; to subject to governing principles or laws. [ 1913 Webster ]

The laws which regulate the successions of the seasons. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

The herdsmen near the frontier adjudicated their own disputes, and regulated their own police. Bancroft. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To put in good order; as, to regulate the disordered state of a nation or its finances. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To adjust, or maintain, with respect to a desired rate, degree, or condition; as, to regulate the temperature of a room, the pressure of steam, the speed of a machine, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

To regulate a watch or
To regulate a clock, to adjust its rate of running so that it will keep approximately standard time. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To adjust; dispose; methodize; arrange; direct; order; rule; govern. [ 1913 Webster ]