\Re"gent\ (r?"jent), a. [L. regens, -entis, p. pr. of
regere to rule: cf. F. r['e]gent. See {Regiment}.]
1. Ruling; governing; regnant. ``Some other active regent
   principle . . . which we call the soul.'' --Sir M. Hale.
2. Exercising vicarious authority. --Milton.
{Queen regent}. See under {Queen}, n.

\Re"gent\, n. [F. r['e]gent. See {Regent}, a.]
1. One who rules or reigns; a governor; a ruler. --Milton.
2. Especially, one invested with vicarious authority; one who
   governs a kingdom in the minority, absence, or disability
   of the sovereign.
3. One of a governing board; a trustee or overseer; a
   superintendent; a curator; as, the regents of the
   Smithsonian Institution.
4. (Eng.Univ.) A resident master of arts of less than five
   years' standing, or a doctor of less than twwo. They were
   formerly privileged to lecture in the schools.
{Regent bird} (Zo["o]l.), a beautiful Australian bower bird
   ({Sericulus melinus}). The male has the head, neck, and
   large patches on the wings, bright golden yellow, and the
   rest of the plumage deep velvety black; -- so called in
   honor of the Prince of Wales (afterward George IV.), who
   was Prince Regent in the reign of George III.
{The Regents of the University of the State of New York}, the
   members of a corporate body called the University of New
   York. They have a certain supervisory power over the
   incorporated institution for Academic and higher education
   in the State.