The Collaborative International Dictionary
Royal \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.]
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.
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Noble; generous; magnificent; princely.
How doth that royal merchant, good Antonio?
--Shak. -
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. (Zo["o]l.) 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 (Zo["o]l.), a large, crested American tern ( Sterna maxima).
Royal tiger. (Zo["o]l.) 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.
WordNet
n. topmast immediately above the topgallant mast
Usage examples of "royal mast".
I had traced out bit by bit, until now I could clearly see the jackstay, running along the top of the royal mast.
I estimated the cliff to be about 35 metres high -higher than the top of the vessel's main royal mast.
But the Diane's main royal mast was not six inches across at the thickest, while the topgallant itself was not much more, its shrouds and stays correspondingly frail.
And thus, with one hand clinging round the royal mast, Ahab gazed abroad upon the sea for miles and miles,--ahead, astern, this side, and that,--within the wide expanded circle commanded at so great a height.
And thus, with one hand clinging round the royal mast, Ahab gazed abroad upon the sea for miles and miles,—.
Meantime, Gabriel, ascending to the main-royal mast-head, was tossing one arm in frantic gestures, and hurling forth prophecies of speedy doom to the sacrilegious assailants of his divinity.
No, when I go to sea, I go as a simple sailor, right before the mast, plumb down into the forecastle, aloft there to the royal mast-head.