Henry IV

American  

noun

1. 1050–1106, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and king of Germany 1056–1106.

2. BolingbrokeHenry of Lancaster, 1367–1413, king of England 1399–1413 (son of John of Gaunt).

3. Henry of NavarreHenry the Great, 1553–1610, king of France 1589–1610: first of the French Bourbon kings.

4. (italics)  a two-part drama (Part 1, 1597?; Part 2, 1597–98?) by Shakespeare.

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Henry IV British  

noun

1. 1050–1106, Holy Roman Emperor (1084–1105) and king of Germany (1056–1105). He was excommunicated by Pope Gregory VII, whom he deposed (1084)

2. surnamed Bolingbroke. 1367–1413, first Lancastrian king of England (1399–1413); son of John of Gaunt: deposed Richard II (1399) and suppressed rebellions led by Owen Glendower and the Earl of Northumberland

3. known as Henry of Navarre. 1553–1610, first Bourbon king of France (1589–1610). He obtained toleration for the Huguenots with the Edict of Nantes (1598) and restored prosperity to France following the religious wars (1562–98)

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Example Sentences

He made his acting debut at York Theatre Royal in 1959, in a production of Henry IV Part 2.

From BBC

The first of Shakespeare's history plays, Richard II sees the unlikeable and corrupt king be usurped by his cousin Henry Bolingbroke who goes on to become Henry IV.

From BBC

McKellen portrayed John Falstaff in the stage adaptation of “Player Kings,” which merges Shakespeare’s “Henry IV” Parts 1 and 2.

From Los Angeles Times

The Shakespeare of “Henry VI” isn’t yet the Shakespeare who wrote “Hamlet,” “Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2” or “King Lear.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Players Kings,” an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Henry IV, Part 1” and “Henry IV, Part 2,” kicked off in April and was expected to run for 12 weeks.

From Los Angeles Times