[f. prec. sb.]
1. intr. (mostly with it). To act the king; to perform the part of a king; to rule, govern.
a. 1420. Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 3307. Out of pitee, growith mercy and springiþ,… What prince hem lakkith, naght aright he kyngeth.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett. (1650), II. 41. The Lord Deputy Kings it notably in Ireland.
1701. Rowe, Amb. Step-Moth., IV. i. 1677. You King rarely! You mean to be renown’d for early Justice.
1883. E. F. Knight, Cruise ‘Falcon’ (1887), 162. Some sacred bull of Memphis, kinging it in his manger.
2. trans. To make (one) a king.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., V. v. 36. Then crushing penurie, Perswades me, I was better when a King: Then am I king’d againe.
1656. S. H., Gold. Law, 24. It un-king’d him, and King’d his un-kingers in point of Power.
a. 1716. South, Twelve Serm. (1744), II. 51. Those traiterous Captains of Israel, who kinged themselves by slaying their masters.
1843. Lytton, Last Bar., VIII. viii. The recreant whom I kinged.
3. To rule over, to govern, as a king. rare.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., II. iv. 26. Shee [France] is so idly king’d, Her Scepter so phantastically borne.
1839. Bailey, Festus, ii. (1852), 15. Why mad’st Thou not one spirit, like the sun, To King the world?
4. quasi-trans. To mention the name of ‘king.’ (Cf. BUT v.) nonce-use.
1605. Tryall Chev., I. i. in Bullen, O. Pl., III. 271. King me no Kings.
Hence Kinging vbl. sb., the act of making, or fact of being made, a king.
1656. S. H., Gold. Law, 64. Solomon also opprest the People so, one way or other, as it obstacled his son Rehoboams Kinging.
1708. T. Ward, Eng. Ref. (1716), 95. Till once again be fell to Kinging, And then he got a Rope to swing in.
