unking

un- +‎ king

unking (third-person singular simple present unkings, present participle unkinging, simple past and past participle unkinged)

1. (archaic) To remove (a king) from power.

   Synonyms: depose, dethrone, discrown, disenthrone, uncrown, unthrone

   • c. 1595, William Shakespeare, Richard II, Act IV, Scene 1,

     God save King Harry, unking’d Richard says,

     And send him many years of sunshine days!

   • 1649, John Milton, The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates, London, p. 28,

     […] the Scots were a free Nation, made King whom they freely chose, and with the same freedome un-Kingd him if they saw cause, by right of ancient laws and Ceremonies yet remaining,

   • 1754, Arthur Murphy, The Gray’s-Inn Journal, No. 66, 19 January, 1754, in Volume 2, London: P. Vaillant, 1756, p. 85,

     The jesting of his Fool wholly turns upon his unkinging himself and retaining nothing, which Lear minutely attends to,

   • 1850, Herman Melville, White-Jacket, Chapter 56,

     “Yes,” cried Jonathan; “that greenhorn, standing there by the Commodore, is sailing under false colours; he's an impostor, I say; he wears my crown.”

     “ […] I say, Jonathan, my lad, don’t pipe your eye now about the loss of your crown; for, look you, we all wear crowns, from our cradles to our graves, and though in double-darbies in the brig, the Commodore himself can’t unking us.”

2. (archaic) To deprive (a king) of his royal qualities.
   • 1665, Robert South, Twelve Sermons upon Several Subjects and Occasions, London: Thomas Bennet, 1698, Volume 3, “A Sermon Preached At S^t Mary’s, Oxon. […] Christmas-Day, 1665,” p. 371,

     But if a Prince shall deign to be familiar and to converse with those upon whom he might trample, shall His condescension therefore Unking Him? And His familiarity rob Him of His Royalty?

   • 1677, Charles Davenant, Circe, London: Richard Tonson, Act III, Scene 6, p. 31,

     My swelling rage, in privacy I’le shrowd,

     And not un-King my self before the Crowd.

   • 1845, James Russell Lowell, Conversations on Some of the Old Poets, Cambridge, MA: John Owen, Third Conversation, p. 215,

     The soul is indifferent what garment she wears, or of what color and texture; the true king is not unkinged by being discrowned.

3. (archaic, figuratively) To remove (something) from a position of power or paramount importance.
   • 1638, John Suckling, Aglaura, London: Thomas Walkley, Act I, Scene 1, p. 9,

     —Oh ’tis well y’are come,

     there was within me fresh Rebellion,

     and reason was almost unking’d agen.

• nuking