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king

king

31 2.7
The most important chess piece that you must protect to avoid losing the game
  • noun
  • /kɪŋ/
: rey
  • During the tournament, she defended her king while planning her next move.

Examples

  • The king's pawn opening, so simple, so workable, had always driven Taylor mad with frustration.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Your queen is dead, your king is through.

  • OK, so if I have a king here, you know, that's a white king.

  • At the end of the game, the king and pawn go back into the same box.

  • All right, queen to king's rook 3.

  • That's called center control and their points for king safety in chess.

  • Chess derived from Shah, meaning king and checkmate from Shah Mott or the king is helpless.

  • In chess, the player moved their king to avoid being placed in check.

  • To win the game, he focused on protecting his king from the opponent's attacks.

Antonyms

22 3.4

A chess piece that moves forward, captures diagonally, and can be promoted

Idioms

5 7.5

A shout showing support and wishing the king a long life

Very fancy and of high quality, like what a king would use

2 7.0

A person who has most power and control in a place

Compounds

A man who rules England as the country's crowned leader

16 3.2

Extra large in size, like a very big bed or burger

A man who ruled France before the monarchy ended

11 3.7

A name people use for a very strong animal or person like a lion

A public holiday in the United States on the third Monday in January to honor Martin Luther King Jr

king of the hill
  • Informal
6 4.4

A person or group who is top and most powerful after a competition

King James Bible
  • Literature
5 5.5

An English translation of the Bible first published in 1611, known for beautiful language and its influence

god-king
  • Literature
3 9.9

A ruler who people worship as a god

3 2.8

Meat from the legs of a large cold water crab that people eat as a delicacy

An English translation of the Bible first published in 1611

king cobra
  • Indian
3 4.9

A very large snake from Southeast Asia with deadly venom and a hood

A lion that people think is powerful and noble

A wise ruler who leads with fairness and deep thought

2 5.8

A North American snake that does not have venom and often eats other snakes and small animals

2 3.2

A large spiny crab that lives in cold northern seas

2 3.5

A very large Pacific salmon valued as food that dies after spawning

1 7.0

A round table where King Arthur and his knights sat as equals

A small English dog with a black and tan coat that is gentle and friendly

king mackerel
  • Specialized
1 6.1

A large fish with a long pointed nose eaten as food and often caught for sport

A man who rules England, Scotland, and Wales as their king

1 3.0

A large penguin with bright orange head patches that lives on islands near Antarctica

King James
  • Informal
1 5.6

A nickname people use for basketball player LeBron James to show respect

1 9.1

A title for Louis XIV of France, a king who had most power and lived at Versailles

A United States holiday to honor Martin Luther King Jr held on a Monday near January 15

drama king
  • Offensive
1 7.5

A man or boy who makes his feelings seem bigger than they are to get attention

A very large crab that lives in cold northern seas near Alaska with a spiny shell and sweet meat

sea king
  • Literature
1 9.9

A male Viking who leads pirate raids at sea

The sweet meat from the legs of a very large crab that lives in cold northern seas near Alaska

A bird like an eagle that stands for power and nobility

1 8.2

A rice farmer who is very successful and powerful in their area

1 3.4

The pink or white flesh of a large Pacific fish used for food

1 3.5

A large crab that lives in cold northern Pacific waters near Alaska and Japan

1 8.8

A large black-and-white bird with a colorful bare head that eats dead animals in Central and South America

king post
  • Specialized
1 8.8

A vertical post in the middle of a triangular roof frame that supports the beam

1 9.9

A ruler of German lands in the Middle Ages who princes often choose before becoming Holy Roman Emperor

king protea
  • South African
1 9.7

A South African bush with large flowers that look like artichokes

1 9.6

A famous American band leader who wrote many military marches

A leafy plant with edible young leaves used like spinach

1 3.5

Meat from the legs of a large crab that lives in cold northern waters, usually sweet and tender

1 8.3

A large tree from the eastern United States that makes very big, sweet nuts

1 8.8

A tree in the eastern United States that makes very large edible nuts

complain king
  • Informal
8.8

A person who often says they are unhappy and finds fault with many small things

9.9

A person who acts very important but is not

7.4

A fish often eaten that lives off the southeast coast of North America

King William pine
  • Australian
9.3

An evergreen mountain tree from Tasmania with sharp leaves that curve inward

king hit
  • NSFW
9.5

A sudden very strong blow or event that has a big effect

A decorative indoor plant with large rough leaves often showing silver or purple

9.9

A plant from Europe with bright yellow flowers that grows wild and harms crops

king fern
  • Australian
8.1

A large fern with tall, upright leaves that grows in rainforests

A very large thin fish from deep water with a long body and a bright red fin

4.9

A large sweet orange with easy to peel skin grown in Florida

How Important

king
31 2.7
queen
24 3.7
rook
14 5.7
bishop
14 3.2
knight
11 4.2
pawn
22 3.4

Surface Forms

king singular
kings plural

Etymology

King comes from an old word kin meaning 'family' or 'people', so in chess the king stands for the ruler and must be protected. That's why the game is lost if your king is put in checkmate, because the leader has been defeated.