"regular" - meanings, definitions, synonyms, thesaurus and antonyms

\Reg"u*lar\ (-l?r), a. [L. regularis, fr. regula a rule,
fr. regere to guide, to rule: cf. F. r['e]gulier. See
{Rule}.]
1. Conformed to a rule; agreeable to an established rule,
   law, principle, or type, or to established customary
   forms; normal; symmetrical; as, a regular verse in poetry;
   a regular piece of music; a regular verb; regular practice
   of law or medicine; a regular building.

2. Governed by rule or rules; steady or uniform in course,
   practice, or occurence; not subject to unexplained or
   irrational variation; returning at stated intervals;
   steadily pursued; orderlly; methodical; as, the regular
   succession of day and night; regular habits.

3. Constituted, selected, or conducted in conformity with
   established usages, rules, or discipline; duly authorized;
   permanently organized; as, a regular meeting; a regular
   physican; a regular nomination; regular troops.

4. Belonging to a monastic order or community; as, regular
   clergy, in distinction dfrom the secular clergy.

5. Thorough; complete; unmitigated; as, a regular humbug.
   [Colloq.]

6. (Bot. & Zo["o]l.) Having all the parts of the same kind
   alike in size and shape; as, a regular flower; a regular
   sea urchin.

7. (Crystallog.) Same as {Isometric}.

{Regular polygon} (Geom.), a plane polygon which is both
   equilateral and equiangular.

{Regular polyhedron} (Geom.), a polyhedron whose faces are
   equal regular polygons. There are five regular
   polyhedrons, -- the tetrahedron, the hexahedron, or cube,
   the octahedron, the dodecahedron, and the icosahedron.

{Regular sales} (Stock Exchange), sales of stock deliverable
   on the day after the transaction.

{Regular troops}, troops of a standing or permanent army; --
   opposed to militia.



Syn: Normal; orderly; methodical. See {Normal}.

\Reg"u*lar\ (r[e^]g"[-u]*l[~e]r), n. [LL. regularis: cf.
F. r['e]gulier. See {Regular}, a.]
1. (R. C. Ch.) A member of any religious order or community
   who has taken the vows of poverty, chastity, and
   obedience, and who has been solemnly recognized by the
   church. --Bp. Fitzpatrick.

2. (Mil.) A soldier belonging to a permanent or standing
   army; -- chiefly used in the plural.