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duchess

American  
[duhch-is] / ˈdʌtʃ ɪs /

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 British  
/ ˈdʌtʃɪs /

noun

  1. the wife or widow of a duke

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. informal to overwhelm with flattering attention

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Gender

See -ess.

Other Word Forms

  • duchesslike adjective

Etymology

Origin of duchess

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Separately, the duke and duchess have also released a Christmas card and end-of-year video highlighting their charitable endeavours.

From BBC

A spokesperson for the duchess said it "has been exceedingly difficult for the Duchess to contact her father privately, despite her efforts over the past several days".

From BBC

He was regularly photographed with the then duchess in 2015 and 2016, and they attended Sir Bob Geldof's wedding together, but she denied rumours they were a couple, saying they were just "good friends".

From BBC

The duchess, who died in September, had been a primary school music teacher and a great supporter of giving more young people opportunities to play music.

From BBC

The duke and duchess moved to California in 2020 after announcing they would step back as "senior" royals and work to become financially independent.

From BBC