duke
noun
(in Continental Europe) the male ruler of a duchy; the sovereign of a small state.
Showing results for duke.
Search instead for
huke.
duke
1 American
[dook, dyook]
/ duk, djuk /
noun
-
dukes
plural
-
(in Continental Europe) the male ruler of a duchy; the sovereign of a small state.
-
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.
-
a nobleman of corresponding rank in certain other countries.
-
a cultivated hybrid of the sweet and sour cherry.
-
Slang. dukes, fists; hands.
Put up your dukes.
verb (used with object)
duked,
duking
idioms
Duke
2
American
[dook, dyook]
/ duk, djuk /
noun
-
Benjamin Newton, 1855–1929, and his brother, James Buchanan, 1856–1925, U.S. industrialists.
-
a male given name.
duke
British
/ djuːk /
noun
-
a nobleman of high rank: in the British Isles standing above the other grades of the nobility
-
the prince or ruler of a small principality or duchy
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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”; see 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.
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.
See Examples For:
In return for a three-year commitment to accompany the third duke of Buccleuch on his Continental tour, Smith received a lifetime pension of £300 a year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
“The Gilded Age” pulls inspiration from New York City’s 19th century elite, with Gladys Russell’s reluctant betrothal to an English duke nodding to socialite Consuelo Vanderbilt’s lavish nuptials a decade later.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
The man is Paul, who does not know how he has come to be in this world but finds himself hunted by a mad duke who wants his magical technologies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
The duke seemed to have hoped to stay at Buckingham Palace.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
“But,” the duke went on, “with a son of marriageable age, she’s busy.”
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
The return of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to the UK continues to dominate the front pages on Friday.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
By early 2020, Harry and Meghan -- formally known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex -- had had enough.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
It comes less than 48 hours after the shock news broke that the Duke of Sussex will be relocating back to Britain from California within weeks with his wife Meghan and their two children.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
But when it comes to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, reasonable went out the window a decade ago.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
The Duke read the sign, too, and with open arms went to embrace Don Quixote, "the best knight of all times."
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
The company raised its dividend in April, and some strategists see the potential for a special dividend on the horizon, as the Costco dukes it out with the government over tariffs.
From Barron's ● May 28, 2026
Meanwhile, Abdulmejid and his family lived a glitzy Riviera life, attending dances, we are told, with “four or five kings and any number of princes, dukes and counts.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026
He said Myers illness was physically obvious but as soon as the cameras started rolling "he'd have his dukes up, ready for a scrap".
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2024
The quality time leads to a beautifully still scene where deep in the dunes, Chani tells Paul, “Your blood comes from dukes and great houses. Here, everyone is equal.”
From Salon ● Mar. 9, 2024
In Florence, the capital of Tuscany, Vincenzio became a court musician, and his family mixed with dukes and princes at the artistic and intellectual heart of reborn Europe.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
The Syrian military laid siege while the factions duked it out inside Yarmouk.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2025
After losing to world champion Littler in last year's final, Humphries triumphed 11-8 in the repeat as the world's top two duked it out at O2 Arena.
From BBC ● May 29, 2025
As the insects groomed each other, the six types of fungi duked it out among themselves, with no clear winner taking over, the team reports this month in Nature Ecology & Evolution.
From Science Magazine ● Feb. 9, 2023
The two have duked it out for the top spot, trading places frequently through much of this year as both companies’ share prices rose.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 5, 2021
Eunice rebuked Her thoughts of gentler blood, when these had duked It with the best, and scorned to change their name.
From Men, Women and Ghosts by Amy Lowell
The primary bedroom also comes with a fireplace, as well as an expansive walk-in closet and a spa bathroom, perfect for relaxation after a long day of duking it out on air.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 8, 2026
"There is still a transfer fee for anyone who wants to negotiate and we are duking it out with the big boys in France like La Rochelle," said Sanderson.
From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2026
They noticed a game that involved action figures duking it out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 25, 2025
“Nickel Boys” “At this stage, two Cannes prizewinners are duking it out for the top spot: Sean Baker’s box-office hit ‘Anora’ and Jacques Audiard’s ‘Emilia Pérez.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2024
Cal and Navy were duking it out for the lead.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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.
