battle royal
    n 1: a noisy riotous fight [syn: melee, scrimmage, battle
         royal]

Royal \Roy"al\, a. [OE. roial, riall, real, OF. roial. reial, F.
   royal, fr. L. regalis, fr. rex, regis, king. See Rich, and
   cf. regal, real a coin, Rial.]
   1. Kingly; pertaining to the crown or the sovereign; suitable
      for a king or queen; regal; as, royal power or
      prerogative; royal domains; the royal family; royal state.
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   2. Noble; generous; magnificent; princely.
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            How doth that royal merchant, good Antonio? --Shak.
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   3. Under the patronage of royality; holding a charter granted
      by the sovereign; as, the Royal Academy of Arts; the Royal
      Society.
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   Battle royal. See under Battle.

   Royal bay (Bot.), the classic laurel (Laurus nobilis.)

   Royal eagle. (Zool.) See Golden eagle, under Golden.

   Royal fern (Bot.), the handsome fern Osmunda regalis. See
      Osmund.

   Royal mast (Naut.), the mast next above the topgallant mast
      and usually the highest on a square-rigged vessel. The
      royal yard and royal sail are attached to the royal mast.
      

   Royal metal, an old name for gold.

   Royal palm (Bot.), a magnificent West Indian palm tree
      (Oreodoxa regia), lately discovered also in Florida.

   Royal pheasant. See Curassow.

   Royal purple, an intense violet color, verging toward blue.
      

   Royal tern (Zool.), a large, crested American tern (Sterna
      maxima).

   Royal tiger. (Zool.) See Tiger.

   Royal touch, the touching of a diseased person by the hand
      of a king, with the view of restoring to health; --
      formerly extensively practiced, particularly for the
      scrofula, or king's evil.
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   Syn: Kingly; regal; monarchical; imperial; kinglike;
        princely; august; majestic; superb; splendid;
        illustrious; noble; magnanimous.
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Battle \Bat"tle\, n. [OE. bataille, bataile, F. bataille battle,
   OF., battle, battalion, fr. L. battalia, battualia, the
   fighting and fencing exercises of soldiers and gladiators,
   fr. batuere to strike, beat. Cf. Battalia, 1st Battel,
   and see Batter, v. t. ]
   1. A general action, fight, or encounter, in which all the
      divisions of an army are or may be engaged; an engagement;
      a combat.
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   2. A struggle; a contest; as, the battle of life.
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            The whole intellectual battle that had at its center
            the best poem of the best poet of that day. --H.
                                                  Morley.
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   3. A division of an army; a battalion. [Obs.]
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            The king divided his army into three battles.
                                                  --Bacon.
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            The cavalry, by way of distinction, was called the
            battle, and on it alone depended the fate of every
            action.                               --Robertson.
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   4. The main body, as distinct from the van and rear;
      battalia. [Obs.] --Hayward.
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   Note: Battle is used adjectively or as the first part of a
         self-explaining compound; as, battle brand, a "brand"
         or sword used in battle; battle cry; battlefield;
         battle ground; battle array; battle song.
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   Battle piece, a painting, or a musical composition,
      representing a battle.

   Battle royal.
      (a) A fight between several gamecocks, where the one that
          stands longest is the victor. --Grose.
      (b) A contest with fists or cudgels in which more than two
          are engaged; a m[^e]l['e]e. --Thackeray.

   Drawn battle, one in which neither party gains the victory.
      

   To give battle, to attack an enemy.

   To join battle, to meet the attack; to engage in battle.

   Pitched battle, one in which the armies are previously
      drawn up in form, with a regular disposition of the
      forces.

   Wager of battle. See under Wager, n.
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   Syn: Conflict; encounter; contest; action.

   Usage: Battle, Combat, Fight, Engagement. These words
          agree in denoting a close encounter between contending
          parties. Fight is a word of less dignity than the
          others. Except in poetry, it is more naturally applied
          to the encounter of a few individuals, and more
          commonly an accidental one; as, a street fight. A
          combat is a close encounter, whether between few or
          many, and is usually premeditated. A battle is
          commonly more general and prolonged. An engagement
          supposes large numbers on each side, engaged or
          intermingled in the conflict.
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