Word
regal
Phoneticsre·gal
US/ˈɹiɡəɫ/
UK/ɹˈiːɡəl/
Definitions
01suitable for royalty
adj. looking or acting like a king or queen; very impressive and grand.
adj. of, pertaining to, or befitting a monarch; characterized by majestic or royal dignity.
“The actress walked into the room with a regal grace that silenced everyone.”
“The palace was decorated in a regal style, featuring deep purple silks and gold leaf that reflected the dynasty's historical wealth.”
Formal
02a portable organ
n. a small, portable keyboard instrument from the 1500s and 1600s that makes a sharp sound.
n. a small, portable reed organ from the 16th and 17th centuries, characterized by brass beating reeds without amplifying resonators.
“The musician played a regal during the performance of the old church music.”
“The ensemble utilized a reconstructed 17th-century regal to achieve the authentic, buzzy timbre required for the early Baroque composition.”
Technical
Synonyms
03an organ stop
n. a specific setting on a large pipe organ that makes a sound like a reed instrument.
n. an organ stop belonging to the reed family, featuring a resonator that is significantly shorter than its natural length.
“The organist pulled out the regal stop to change the tone of the music.”
“Modern pipe organs occasionally include a regal stop to mimic the distinctive, nasal quality of historical reed instruments.”
Technical
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English regal, from Old French regal (“regal, royal”), from Latin rēgālis (“royal, kingly”), from rex (“king”); also regere (“to rule”). Doublet of royal (“belonging to a monarch”), real (“unit of currency”), ariary, and riyal. Cognate with Spanish real.
From Middle English regal, from Middle French régale, possibly from Old French regol (“a gutter, channel”). Doublet of rail, regula, rigol, and rule.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
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englishreference.com/q/regal