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duke

1 American  
[dook, dyook] / duk, dyuk /

noun

  1. (in Continental Europe) the male ruler of a duchy; the sovereign of a small state.

  2. a British nobleman holding the highest hereditary title outside the royal family, ranking immediately below a prince and above a marquis; a member of the highest rank of the British peerage.

  3. a nobleman of corresponding rank in certain other countries.

  4. a cultivated hybrid of the sweet and sour cherry.

  5. Slang. dukes, fists; hands.

    Put up your dukes.

verb (used with object)

duked, duking

  1. Slang. to hit or thrash with the fists (sometimes followed byout ): The bully said he was going to duke out anyone who disagreed.

    He duked me because he said I had insulted him.

    The bully said he was going to duke out anyone who disagreed.

idioms

  1. duke it out, to fight, especially with the fists; do battle.

    The adversaries were prepared to duke it out in the alley.
Duke 2 American  
[dook, dyook] / duk, dyuk /

noun

  1. Benjamin Newton, 1855–1929, and his brother, James Buchanan, 1856–1925, U.S. industrialists.

  2. a male given name.

duke British  
/ djuːk /

noun

  1. 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

"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

Etymology

Origin of duke

First recorded in 1100–50; Middle English duke, duc, late Old English duc, from Old French duc, dus, dux, from Medieval Latin dux “hereditary ruler of a small state,” Latin: “leader”; dux; duke def. 5 dukes (in the sense “fists”) of unclear derivation and perhaps of distinct origin

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.

The foundation said, in a previous statement, it was "unable to comment on the charges, which relate to the duke's personal conduct and private life, and which are subject to live, criminal proceedings".

From BBC

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

From BBC

The foundation said it was "unable to comment on the charges, which relate to the duke's personal conduct and private life, and which are subject to live, criminal proceedings".

From BBC

The duke's representatives have been approached for comment.

From BBC

According to The Sun newspaper, the process for reassessing the duke's threat level is already under way and a decision is expected next month.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.