Queen

Queen, kwēn, n. the wife of a king: a female sovereign: the best or chief of her kind: a queen-bee or queen-ant: of playing-cards, one with the queen painted on it: the piece in chess which is the most deadly in attack.—v.i. to play the queen.—ns. Queen′-app′le, Queen′ing, the name of several varieties of apple; Queen′-bee, the sole female of a bee-hive, considerably larger than an ordinary bee; Queen′-con′sort, the wife of the reigning sovereign—opp. to Queen′-reg′nant, holding the crown in her own right; Queen′craft, craft or policy on the part of a queen; Queen′dom, queenly rule or dignity: the realm of a queen; Queen′-dow′ager, the widow of a deceased king; Queen′hood, the state of being a queen; Queen′let, a petty queen.—adjs. Queen′-like, Queen′ly, like a queen: becoming or suitable to a queen.—n. Queen′liness.—adv. Queen′ly, like a queen.—ns. Queen′-moth′er, a queen-dowager, the mother of the reigning king or queen; Queen′-of-the-mead′ows, the meadow-sweet; Queen′-post (archit.), one of two upright posts in a trussed roof, resting upon the tie-beam, and supporting the principal rafters; Queen′-rē′gent, a queen who reigns as regent; Queen's′-arm, a musket; Queen′ship, the state, condition, or dignity of a queen; Queen′-stitch, a square or chequer pattern in embroidery stitch.—Queen Anne's Bounty, a fund for augmenting the incomes of the poorer clergy of England, set aside in 1703; Queen Anne style (archit.), the style popular in the early part of the 18th century, the buildings plain and simple, with classic cornices and details, and frequently with large windows divided by mullions; Queen of heaven, a title often given to the goddess Astarte or Ashtoreth: among Roman Catholics, a title for the Virgin Mary; Queen of the May=May-queen (see May); * Queen's Bench (court of: see King); * Queen's colour, one of the pair of colours belonging to each regiment in our army; * Queen's counsel (see Counsel); * Queen's English, correct use of the English language; * Queen's evidence (see Evident); * Queen's messenger (see Message); Queen's metal, an alloy consisting chiefly of tin; Queen's tobacco pipe, the facetious designation of a peculiarly shaped kiln which used to be situated at the corner of the tobacco warehouses belonging to the London Docks, and in which contraband goods were burned; Queen's ware, a variety of Wedgwood ware, otherwise known as cream-coloured ware; Queen's yellow, the yellow subsulphate of mercury. [A.S. cwén; Goth. kwēns, Ice. kván, kvæn.] * Now King's Bench, &c.