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Synonyms

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

Explanation

A duke is a member of a royal or noble group. In some places, dukes rule over certain regions, while in others duke is just an honorary title. In the U.K., a duke inherits his title from his parents. Prince William, for example, is the Duke of Cambridge, while his father Prince Charles is the Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay. The equivalent title for a woman is duchess. Informally, duke has a very different meaning in the U.S. — if you "duke it out," you have a fight, and to "put up your dukes" means to clench your fists and get ready to punch.

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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.

Rep. Wesley Hunt is likely headed to a runoff, while Democrats duke out their own primary.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

Canada and United States have been the two best teams in the men's ice hockey competition, and they will duke it out at Milano Santagiulia Arena on Sunday at 13.10 GMT.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

During the appearance, the duke spoke only to confirm his name and that he understood the conditions of his bail.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

LONDON—On Monday, as fresh disclosures about ex-Prince Andrew’s dealings with Jeffrey Epstein dominated headlines in Britain, the former duke went for a ride on his horse outside his 30-room stately residence in Windsor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

“Everything’s an art. Everything in life. Even getting dressed. They put on a sweater, and it’s like someone painting a portrait of a duke in velvet.”

From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin

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.