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.]

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. (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.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)