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A chief ruler; a sovereign; one invested with supreme authority over a nation, country, or tribe, usually by hereditary succession; a monarch; a prince. "Ay, every inch a king." Shak. Kings will be tyrants from policy, when subjects are rebels from principle. Burke. There was a State without king or nobles. R. Choate.…

it was found in a Golconda mine, and has been the property of various Hindoo and Persian rulers.

One who has power and authority; a master; a ruler; a governor; a prince; a proprietor, as of a manor. But now I was the lord Of this fair mansion. Shak. Man over men He made not lord. Milton.

ivil officer invested with the executive government, or some branch of it. "All Christian rulers and magistrates." Book of Com. Prayer. Of magistrates some also are supreme, in whom the sovereign power of the state resides; others are subordinate. Blackstone.

The mother and ruler of a family or of her descendants; a ruler by maternal right.

ution of a problem by any art or contrivance not strictly geometrical, as by means of the ruler and compasses, or other instruments.

A sole or supreme ruler; a sovereign; the highest ruler; an emperor, king, queen, prince, or chief. He who reigns Monarch in heaven, ... upheld by old repute. Milton.

A system of government in which the chief ruler is a monarch. In those days he had affected zeal for monarchy. Macaulay.

The whole of the war vessels belonging to a nation or ruler, considered collectively; as, the navy of Italy.

A deputy ruler or viceroy in India; also, a title given by courtesy to other persons of high rank in the East.

an emperor notorius for debauchery and barbarous cruelty; hence, any profligate and cruel ruler or merciless tyrant. -- Ne*ro"ni*an, a.

A member of an oligarchy; one of the rulers in an oligarchical government.

Chief ruler; monarch; sovereign; -- a title of the Sultan of Turkey, and of the Shah of Persia.

, in distinction from the connecting rod. See Illust. of Locomotive, in App. -- Parallel ruler, an instrument for drawing parallel lines, so constructed as to have the successive positions of the ruling edge parallel to each other; also, one consisting of two movable parts, the opposite edges of which are always paral…

A religious as well as a secular designation applied to rulers of some of the city states of ancient Chaldea, as Lagash or Shirpurla, who were conceived to be direct representatives of the tutelary god of the place.

The father and ruler of a family; one who governs his family or descendants by paternal right; -- usually applied to heads of families in ancient history, especially in Biblical and Jewish history to those who lived before the time of Moses.

A government in the hands of five persons; five joint rulers. P. Fletcher. "The pentarchy of the senses." A. Brewer.

on or condition of life; as, in whatever sphere one is placed. Place such over them to be rulers. Ex. xviii. 21.

Government by many rulers; polyarchy.

A chief ruler; a potentate. [Obs.] Wyclif. "An irous potestate." Chaucer.