Ellington

American

[el-ing-tuhn] / ˈɛl ɪŋ tən /

noun

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

Ellington British

/ ˈɛlɪŋtən /

noun

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"

"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

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.

Discovered by Duke Ellington, the musician was named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2019.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026

The venue hosted jazz and vocal legends like Ella Fitzgerald and Al Cooper alongside band battles between the Chick Webb, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman orchestras.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026

American jazz legend Duke Ellington heard Ibrahim and took him to the US.

From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026

I didn’t mind that Davis sings “Fallin’,” as Ellington has a voice of luscious thunder.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026

“I saw there’s a watercolor class at the high school that still has space, or a pottery one at the art barn in Ellington Hills,” Mom offers.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

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