Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

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.

   2. Noble; generous; magnificent; princely.

            How doth that royal merchant, good Antonio? --Shak.

   3. Under the patronage of royality; holding a charter granted
      by the sovereign; as, the Royal Academy of Arts; the Royal
      Society.

   {Battle royal}. See under {Battle}.

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

   {Royal eagle}. (Zo["o]l.) 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} (Zo["o]l.), a large, crested American tern
      ({Sterna maxima}).

   {Royal tiger}. (Zo["o]l.) 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.

   Syn: Kingly; regal; monarchical; imperial; kinglike;
        princely; august; majestic; superb; splendid;
        illustrious; noble; magnanimous.

Royal \Roy"al\, n.
   1. Printing and writing papers of particular sizes. See under
      {paper}, n.

   2. (Naut.) A small sail immediately above the topgallant
      sail. --Totten.

   3. (Zo["o]l.) One of the upper or distal branches of an
      antler, as the third and fourth tynes of the antlers of a
      stag.

   4. (Gun.) A small mortar.

   5. (Mil.) One of the soldiers of the first regiment of foot
      of the British army, formerly called the Royals, and
      supposed to be the oldest regular corps in Europe; -- now
      called the Royal Scots.

   6. An old English coin. See {Rial}.

Royal \Roy"al\, n. (Auction Bridge)
   A royal spade.

Source : WordNet®

royal
     adj 1: of or relating to or indicative of or issued or performed by
            a king or queen or other monarch; "the royal party";
            "the royal crest"; "by royal decree"; "a royal visit"
     2: established or chartered or authorized by royalty; "the
        Royal Society"
     3: being of the rank of a monarch; "of royal ancestry";
        "princes of the blood royal"
     4: belonging to or befitting a supreme ruler; "golden age of
        imperial splendor"; "purple tyrant"; "regal attire";
        "treated with royal acclaim"; "the royal carriage of a
        stag's head" [syn: {imperial}, {majestic}, {purple}, {regal}]
     5: invested with royal power as symbolized by a crown; "the
        royal (or crowned) heads of Europe"

royal
     n 1: a sail set next above the topgallant on a royal mast
     2: stag with antlers of 12 or more branches [syn: {royal stag}]