Queen's Counsel or King's Counsel

A barrister or advocate appointed by letters patent (the office is honorary, but gives the right of precedence in all the courts) (abbrev QC or KC)

queen /kwēn/

noun

1. A female monarch
2. The wife or widow of a king
3. A presiding goddess
4. A woman or (figurative) anything that is pre-eminent in excellence, beauty, etc
5. A sexually functional female social insect
6. An adult female cat
7. A male homosexual, esp if effeminate (slang)
8. A playing card bearing the picture of a queen, in value next below a king
9. In chess, either of two pieces, one on each side, usu with a top in the shape of a crown, that can move any distance in any straight line
10. A size of roofing-slate, 3 feet by 2

transitive verb

1. To make a queen of
2. To make (a pawn) into a queen when it reaches the far side of the chessboard
3. To rule over as queen
4. To supply with a queen
5. (with it) to behave like a queen, to lord it

queenˈcraft noun

Skill or policy on the part of a queen

queenˈdom noun

1. Queenhood
2. The realm of a queen

queenˈhood noun

The state of being a queen

queenˈie noun

A queen scallop, esp in SW Scotland and the Isle of Man

queenˈing noun

A variety of apple

queenˈite noun

A queen's partisan

queenˈless adjective

queenˈlet noun

A petty queen

queenˈ-like adjective

Like a queen

queenˈliness noun

queenˈly adjective

1. Becoming or suitable to a queen
2. Like a queen

adverb

In the manner of a queen

queenˈship noun

The state, condition or dignity of a queen

queenˈside noun

In chess, the side of the board where the queen stands at the beginning of play

queenˈy adjective

Camp, effeminate

Queen Anne noun

1. The simplified Renaissance architectural style of the early 18c, or an imitation of it
2. The furniture style of the early 18c, incorporating greater attention to comfort, the use of walnut, and cabriole legs

Queen Anne's Bounty noun

A fund for augmenting poor livings of the Church of England, formed (1703) out of first-fruits and tenths

Queen Anne's lace noun

Cow parsley

queen bee noun

1. A fertile female bee
2. A woman who dominates, or is the centre of attention among, her associates
3. A woman in an important business position

queen bee substance or queen substance noun

A pheromone secreted by a queen bee which attracts drones and keeps workers infertile

queenˈ-cake noun

A small, soft, sweet cake with currants

queen consort noun

The wife of a reigning king

queen dowager noun

A king's widow

queenˈfish noun

1. A Californian blue-and-silver fish, Seriphus politus (also known as drumˈfish)
2. A tropical food and game fish of the Carangidae

queen mother noun

1. A queen dowager who is mother of the reigning king or queen
2. A queen or queen bee that is a mother

Queen of Heaven noun

1. Ashtoreth
2. Juno
3. The Virgin Mary (RC)

queen of puddings noun

A pudding made with egg, breadcrumbs, fruit or jam, etc, topped with meringue

Queen of the May noun

A May queen

queen-of-the-meadˈow or queen-of-the-meadˈows noun

Meadowsweet

queen olive noun

A large variety of olive grown in Spain

queen olive noun

A large variety of olive grown in Spain

queen post noun

One of two upright posts in a trussed roof, resting on the tie-beam and supporting the principal rafter

queen-reˈgent noun

A queen who reigns as regent

queen-regˈnant noun

A queen reigning as monarch

queen'sˈ-arm noun (historical)

A musket

Queen's Bench (or King's Bench in a king's reign) noun

A division of the High Court of Justice

queen's bounty see under bounty

queen scallop noun

A medium-sized scallop (Chlamys opercularis)

Queen's Counsel (or King's Counsel in a king's reign) noun

1. An honorary rank of barristers and advocates
2. A barrister or advocate of this rank

queen's English see king's English under king

Queen's Guide (or King's Guide in a king's reign) noun

1. The rank awarded to a (Girl) Guide upon reaching the highest level of proficiency and in recognition of service to the community
2. A Guide of this rank

Queen's highway (or King's highway in a king's reign) noun

A public road, considered as being under royal control

queenˈ-size or queenˈ-sized adjective

(of furnishings, etc, esp beds and bedding) larger than standard size, but smaller than the largest size

Queen's Proctor see King's Proctor under king

queen's pudding noun

Queen of puddings (see above)

Queen's Regulations (or King's Regulations in a king's reign) plural noun

The regulations governing the British Armed Forces

Queen's Scout (or King's Scout in a king's reign) noun

A Scout who has reached the highest level of proficiency, etc

Queen's Speech (or King's Speech in a king's reign) noun

1. The sovereign's address to parliament at its annual opening ceremony, describing proposed government legislation
2. An address to the nation and Commonwealth by the sovereign on Christmas day, broadcast on television and radio

queenˈ-stitch noun

An embroidery pattern of square within square

Queen's tobacco pipe noun

A kiln at London Docks for burning contraband goods (till 1891)

queen substance see queen bee substance above.

Queen's ware noun

Cream-coloured Wedgwood ware

queen's yellow noun

Basic mercuric sulphate

Queen Anne's dead

That is old news

turn Queen's evidence see under evident