Roy·al a.
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. 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.
Syn: -- Kingly; regal; monarchical; imperial; kinglike; princely; august; majestic; superb; splendid; illustrious; noble; magnanimous.
Ti·ger n.
1. A very large and powerful carnivore (Felis tigris) native of Southern Asia and the East Indies. Its back and sides are tawny or rufous yellow, transversely striped with black, the tail is ringed with black, the throat and belly are nearly white. When full grown, it equals or exceeds the lion in size and strength. Called also royal tiger, and Bengal tiger.
2. Fig.: A ferocious, bloodthirsty person.
As for heinous tiger, Tamora. --Shak.
3. A servant in livery, who rides with his master or mistress.
4. A kind of growl or screech, after cheering; as, three cheers and a tiger. [Colloq. U. S.]
5. A pneumatic box or pan used in refining sugar.
American tiger. Zool. (a) The puma. (b) The jaguar.
Clouded tiger Zool., a handsome striped and spotted carnivore (Felis macrocelis or Felis marmorata) native of the East Indies and Southern Asia. Its body is about three and a half feet long, and its tail about three feet long. Its ground color is brownish gray, and the dark markings are irregular stripes, spots, and rings, but there are always two dark bands on the face, one extending back from the eye, and one from the angle of the mouth. Called also tortoise-shell tiger.
Mexican tiger Zool., the jaguar.
Tiger beetle Zool., any one of numerous species of active carnivorous beetles of the family Cicindelidae. They usually inhabit dry or sandy places, and fly rapidly.
Tiger bittern. Zool. See Sun bittern, under Sun.
Tiger cat Zool., any one of several species of wild cats of moderate size with dark transverse bars or stripes somewhat resembling those of the tiger.
Tiger flower Bot., an iridaceous plant of the genus Tigridia (as Tigridia conchiflora, Tigridia grandiflora, etc.) having showy flowers, spotted or streaked somewhat like the skin of a tiger.
Tiger grass Bot., a low East Indian fan palm (Chamaerops Ritchieana). It is used in many ways by the natives. --J. Smith (Dict. Econ. Plants).
Tiger lily. Bot. See under Lily.
Tiger moth Zool., any one of numerous species of moths of the family Arctiadae which are striped or barred with black and white or with other conspicuous colors. The larvae are called woolly bears.
Tiger shark Zool., a voracious shark (Galeocerdo tigrinus syn. Galeocerdo maculatus) more or less barred or spotted with yellow. It is found in both the Atlantic and Indian Ocean. Called also zebra shark.
Tiger shell Zool., a large and conspicuously spotted cowrie (Cypraea tigris); -- so called from its fancied resemblance to a tiger in color and markings. Called also tiger cowrie.
Tiger snake Zool., either of two very venomous snakes of Tasmania and Australia, Notechis scutatis and Notechis ater, which grow up to 5 feet in length.
Tiger wolf Zool., the spotted hyena (Hyaena crocuta).
Tiger wood, the variegated heartwood of a tree (Machaerium Schomburgkii) found in Guiana.
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