duchess

[duhch-is]

noun

1. the wife or widow of a duke.

2. a woman who holds in her own right the sovereignty or titles of a duchy.

duchess

/ ˈdʌtʃɪs /

noun

1. the wife or widow of a duke

2. a woman who holds the rank of duke in her own right

verb

1. informal,  to overwhelm with flattering attention

Gender Note

See -ess.

Other Word Forms

• duchesslike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of duchess¹

1300–50; Middle English duchesse < Anglo-French, Old French, feminine derivative of duc duke; -ess

Word History and Origins

Origin of duchess¹

C14: from Old French duchesse, feminine of duc _duke

Example Sentences

Ms Ferguson, who lost her duchess title when Andrew gave up his Duke of York title a few weeks ago, had, until recently, sidestepped the firing line of the controversy around Epstein.

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In 2011, the duchess said in a media interview that her involvement with Epstein had been a “gigantic error of judgment.”

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His ex-wife has now lost her duchess title and will simply be known as Sarah Ferguson.

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She has worn a number of designs by the fashion house's new creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli and the visit reflected "her support for his new creative chapter", a spokesman for the duchess said.

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Behaving like an duchess while living in a suburb, Bucket's monstrous social-climbing schemes were ultimately doomed to failure - while she battled to maintain her dignity.

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Related Words

• czar 
• emperor 
• king 
• monarch 
• shah 
• sultan