royalty
/ˈrɔɪəltɪ/noun
(pl. -ies)
1
- mass noun people of royal blood or status王族：
diplomats, heads of state, and royalty shared tables at the banquet.
外交官、国家领导人和王族共同出席了盛宴。
1.1
- a member of a royal family王族成员：
she swept by as if she were royalty.
她昂首阔步地走过, 仿佛自己是王室成员似的。
1.2
- the status or power of a king or queen王位; 王权; 王威：
the brilliance of her clothes, her jewels, all revealed her royalty.
她光彩夺目的衣着和珠宝彰显了她的君主地位。
2
- a sum paid to a patentee for the use of a patent or to an author or composer for each copy of a book sold or for each public performance of a work（专利权的）使用费; （著作的）版税; 特许使用费。
3
- a royal right (now especially over minerals) granted by the sovereign to an individual or corporation（国王授予个人或公司的）权利（尤指矿山开采权）。
3.1
- a payment made by a producer of minerals, oil, or natural gas to the owner of the site or of the mineral rights over it（矿山、石油或天然气的）开采权使用费, 矿区租用费。
词源
late Middle English: from Old French roialte, from roial （see ROYAL）. The sense 'royal right (especially over minerals)' （late 15th cent.） developed into the sense 'payment made by a mineral producer to the site owner' （mid 19th cent.）, which was then transferred to payments for the use of patents and published materials.