Ellington

American  

[el-ing-tuhn] / ˈɛl ɪŋ tən /

noun

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

---

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"

---

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

Even at a moment when his career seemed to be contracting, Ellington used a new technology to enlarge his art—and, in doing so, helped chart a broader future for American musical expression.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

During the summer I had gone to the Apollo to see Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers