duchess

[ duhch-is ]
/ ˈdʌtʃ ɪs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR duchess ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the wife or widow of a duke.
a woman who holds in her own right the sovereignty or titles of a duchy.

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"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
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decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of duchess

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

usage note for duchess

See -ess.

OTHER WORDS FROM duchess

duch·ess·like, adjective

Words nearby duchess

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Words related to duchess

aristocrat, king, monarch, emperor, czar, sultan, shah, girl, queen, adult, female, count, patrician, gentleman, royalty, peer, lord, lady, prince, empress

Example sentences from the Web for duchess

British Dictionary definitions for duchess

duchess
/ (ˈdʌtʃɪs) /

noun

the wife or widow of a duke
a woman who holds the rank of duke in her own right

verb (tr)

Australian informal to overwhelm with flattering attention

Word Origin for duchess

C14: from Old French duchesse, feminine of duc duke
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