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English (UK)
Cambridge Dictionary Online

Meaning of king in English

king
noun [ C ]
uk
/kɪŋ/ us
/kɪŋ/

king noun [C] (MALE RULER)

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A2
(the title of) a male ruler of a country, who holds this position because of his royal birth:
King Richard II
the kings and queens of England
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SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Royalty, aristocracy & titles
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king noun [C] (MOST IMPORTANT)

C1
the most important, best, or most respected member of a group of animals, things, or people:
The lion is often called the king of the jungle.
He's the new king of pop music.
Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples
someone famous
  • celebrityThe magazine is all about the lives of celebrities.
  • celebWhich celeb recently spent $60,000 on an engagement ring?
  • slebUK She was last spotted interviewing a minor sleb on the red carpet.
  • starHer ambition was always to become a movie star.
  • superstarRock superstar Elton John grew up working class in England.
  • legendHe became a legend in his own lifetime.
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SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Good and excellent things
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king noun [C] (GAMES)

In the game of chess, the king is the most important piece on the board. It can move one square in any direction.
 
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a card with a picture of a king on it, used in games:
the king of hearts
 
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SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Board games
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Idiom

a king's ransom
king
adjective [ before noun ]
uk
/kɪŋ/ us
/kɪŋ/
used as part of the name of something that is larger than the ordinary type:
King scallops are harvested around the Shetland Islands.
These king olives are known for their meaty texture and pure flavour.
See also
king cobra
king crab
king penguin
king prawn
king salmon
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Enormous
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(Definition of king from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

king | American Dictionary

king
noun [ C ]
us
/kɪŋ/
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a man who rules a country because he has been born into a family which by tradition or law has the right to rule, or the title given to such a man:
King Philip IV of Spain
A king is a playing piece in the game of chess and each player’s most important piece.
A king is also a playing card with a picture of a king on it:
the king of hearts
If someone or something is called the king of an activity, that person is the best or the most important in that activity:
He was baseball’s home run king.
(Definition of king from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

king | Business English

king
noun [ C ]
uk
/kɪŋ/ us
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a person, company, or organization that is thought to be the best or most successful:
It is widely considered to be king of the supermarket chains.
sb/sth is king
used to say that someone or something is the most important part of something or has the most influence:
In mergers and acquisitions, cash is king.
They all followed the principle that the customer is king.
Media executives are fond of saying that content is king.
(Definition of king from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of king

king
Accordingly, the king's subjection to this ideal is itself entirely idealized.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
The first book treats the virtues, passions, and habits of kings as individuals.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
The good subject was a happy subject - grateful to accept the protection of the king's law, and the church's authority.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Moreover, the king's taxation and borrowing policies made money tight in all other sectors of the economy.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Despite being able to indulge his every wish, the king's appetite is spoiled by satiety, and instead of pleasure he can feel only pain.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
The circumstances and timing of the promotion reveal the king's motives, and are examined in the opening section of the chapter.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
The biographer says nothing of a king's other chief relaxation, the evening carouse.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
In addition, the local (re)presentation of the monument was deconstructed by removing a core element, the 'king's table'.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
The king's table can be held up as an example of this.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Evidently, those who could count themselves amongst the king's favourites stood the best chance of receiving an apartment in one of his palaces.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Similarly, history was, until the 19th century, primarily an account of the actions of kings, statesmen, generals and other luminaries.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
There is no easy correlation between areas with rich burials and those where historical sources note the presence of kings, magistrates or warlords.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
The 'king's table' was also a popular place for picnics, festivities, and family celebrations.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
The rights of kings are to obtain taxes, etc. on a regular basis into the future, and to keep them.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
The twenty-nine instrumentalists listed as accompanying the serenade were all members of die king's musical establishment.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
See all examples of king
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
What is the pronunciation of king?
 

Translations of king

in Chinese (Traditional)
國王, 國王，君王, 最重要者…
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in Chinese (Simplified)
国王, 国王，君王, 最重要者…
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in Spanish
rey, gigante, rey [masculine…
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in Portuguese
rei, rei [masculine]…
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राजा…
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王, （トランプの）キング, 王（おう）…
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kral, en iyi ve önemli kişi, en iyisi…
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roi [masculine], roi…
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rei…
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koning…
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(பட்டம்) ஒரு நாட்டின் ஒரு ஆண் ஆட்சியாளர், ஏனெனில் அவரது அரச பிறப்பு காரணமாக இந்த பதவியை வகிக்கிறார், விலங்குகள்…
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राजा, (पशुओं, मानव या चीज़ों के समूह में सर्वश्रेष्ठ) सम्राट…
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રાજા, શહેનશાહ…
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konge…
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kung…
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raja…
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der König…
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konge [masculine], konge…
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بادشاہ, شاہ, سردار…
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король, цар…
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రాజు, జంతువులు, వస్తువులు లేదా వ్యక్తుల సమూహంలో అతి ముఖ్యమైన…
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জন্মসূত্রে রাজা, রাজা…
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král…
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raja, kartu raja…
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กษัตริย์, ไพ่ที่มีรูปพระราชา, หมากรุกตัวพระราชาซึ่งเป็นหมากที่สำคัญที่สุดในการเล่นเกมส์…
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vua, lá bài K, quân tướng…
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król…
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왕, (카드)킹…
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re, dama…
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kinetochore BETA
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king
king cobra
king crab
king pair
king penguin

Word of the Day

overwhelmed

UK
/ˌəʊ.vəˈwelm/
US
/ˌoʊ.vɚˈwelm/

past simple and past participle of overwhelm

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