Regulus

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Regulus \Reg"u*lus\ (-l?s), n.; pl. E. {Reguluses} (-?z), L.
     {Reguli} (-l?). [L., a petty king, prince, dim. of rex,
     regis, a king: cf. F. r['e]gule. See {Regal}.]
     1. A petty king; a ruler of little power or consequence.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. (Chem. & Metal.) The button, globule, or mass of metal, in
        a more or less impure state, which forms in the bottom of
        the crucible in smelting and reduction of ores.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The name was introduced by the alchemists, and applied
           by them in the first instance to antimony. It signifies
           little king; and from the facility with which antimony
           alloyed with gold, these empirical philosophers had
           great hopes that this metal, antimony, would lead them
           to the discovery of the philosopher's stone. --Ure.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Astron.) A star of the first magnitude in the
        constellation Leo; -- called also the {Lion's Heart}.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  Regulus
       n 1: the brightest star in Leo
       2: a genus of birds of the family Sylviidae including kinglets
          [syn: {genus Regulus}]