Ellington

American  

[el-ing-tuhn] / ˈɛl ɪŋ tən /

noun

1. Edward Kennedy Duke, 1899–1974, U.S. jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and conductor.

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Ellington British  

/ ˈɛlɪŋtən /

noun

1. Duke, nickname of Edward Kennedy Ellington. 1899–1974, US jazz composer, pianist, and conductor, famous for such works as "Mood Indigo" and "Creole Love Call"

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Example Sentences

As the liner notes explain, Dylan is the third-most popular covered songwriter ever, outranked only by The Beatles and Duke Ellington.

From Salon • Feb. 24, 2026

Bridgewater: I’m here in town at Birdland with Bill Charlap and we are doing songs from the American Songbook primarily and Duke Ellington.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026

There’s Dexter Gordon, son of a Black doctor who treated Duke Ellington whenever he was in L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026

Alongside his Carnegie Hall concerts, which began in 1943, this LP helped elevate Ellington as a serious composer working at a grand scale.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Cootie Wil- Hams, Jimmie Lunceford were just a few of those who sat in my chair.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey