dukes

British

/ djuːks /

plural noun

slang the fists (esp in the phrase put your dukes up )

"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 dukes

C19: from Duke of Yorks rhyming slang for forks (fingers)

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.

For years, the city’s baseball fans grew up watching the Dukes, the former longtime Dodgers affiliate.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

The Worcester Plinth is displaying a sculpture by Sarah Dukes titled 'The Gulls' which can currently be seen at the play park on Lansdowne Road.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

Dukes said she wanted people to "embrace all animals and birds" and hoped the fact that the installation was mobile would help spread the importance of art and creativity.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

Dukes offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy and defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler could offer the Bruins something Chesney doesn’t possess — experience at the Power Four conference level.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2025

Remember the boxing gloves you gave us, and the swimming pool at Dukes Happy Holiday Resort?

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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