a nobleman of high rank: in the British Isles standing above the other grades of the nobility
2.
the prince or ruler of a small principality or duchy
▶ Related adjective: ducal
Word origin
C12: from Old French duc, from Latin dux leader
duke in American English1
(duk; djuk)
noun
1.
a prince who rules an independent duchy
2.
a nobleman of the highest hereditary rank below that of prince
3.
any of several varieties of cherry created by crossing a sweet cherry with a sour cherry
Derived forms
dukedom (ˈdukedom) (ˈdukdəm; ˈdjukdəm)
noun
Word origin
ME duk < OFr duc < L dux, leader < ducere, to lead: see duct
duke in American English2
(duk; djuk)
noun
1. [pl.]; Slang
the fists or hands
verb transitive, verb intransitiveWord forms: duked or duking
2. Slang
to hit or fight with the fists
Idioms:
duke it out
Word origin
< duke1, short for Duke of York, used in 19th-c. E rhyming slang for fork, hence fingers, hence fist
Examples of 'duke' in a sentence
duke
Current convention would make him a prince and a duke.
The Sun (2012)
What lofty habits would you indulge in if you were a duke or a duchess?
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The duke and duchess have talked in the past about their competitive nature.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The duke and duchess have form on the subject.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It is a lesson that the duke and duchess might care to heed.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The duke himself died before the palace was completed.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The huge council hall has frescoes and portraits of Tuscan grand dukes.
Delaforce, Patrick Collins Traveller-Tuscany and Florence (1993)
The dinner has highlighted the difficulty for the duke and duchess of how careful they should be about where their charitable donations come from.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The duke and duchess gave a preview tour yesterday morning, leading the way up a colossal flight of stairs.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
But the new duke and duchess were determined to keep Woburn in the family and to makeit a paying proposition.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The duke and duchess were there to highlight the threat of poaching and how animals and people can co-exist in such remote rural areas.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
That, in a nutshell, is how the duke and duchess like it.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Was your freedom maintained by that gentle man, the duke of Alva?
Kishlansky, Mark A. (editor) Sources of the West: Readings in Western Civilization, Volume 1: From the Beginningto 1715 (1995)
The following year the grand duke addressed 1,500 business leaders in Miami and died soon afterwards.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
By the time the 11th duke died, relations had improved with his son and heir.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
But its website sternly warns: 'There will be no public access or opportunity to view the duke and duchess from afar.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
A royal aide said: 'The duke recognises that there are many people out there already doing great work in these areas.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Word lists with
duke
Titles of rulers
In other languages
duke
British English: duke NOUN
A duke is a man with a very high social rank.
...the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
American English: duke
Brazilian Portuguese: duque
Chinese: 公爵
European Spanish: duque
French: duc
German: Herzog
Italian: duca
Japanese: 公爵
Korean: 공작
European Portuguese: duque
Latin American Spanish: duque
All related terms of 'duke'
Iron Duke
an administrative district , formerly a province , of New Zealand , on SW North Island : major livestock producer in New Zealand. Capital: Wellington . Pop: 492 500 (2013 est). Area: 28 153 sq km (10 870 sq miles)
grand duke
a prince or nobleman who rules a territory, state, or principality
royal duke
a duke who is also a royal prince , being a member of the royal family
Duke Humphrey
Humphrey , Duke of. 1391–1447, English soldier and statesman; son of Henry IV. He acted as protector during Henry VI's minority (1422–29) and was noted for his patronage of humanists
duke it out
to fight, esp. with the fists
Duke of Alba
Duke of, title of Fernando Alvarez de Toledo . 1508–82, Spanish general and statesman who suppressed the Protestant revolt in the Netherlands (1567–72) and conquered Portugal (1580)
Duke of Windsor
→ the title, from 1937, of Edward VIII
Danby
1st Earl of , title of Thomas Osborne . 1631–1712, English politician; Lord Treasurer (1673–78): regarded as the founder of the Tory party