duke

1 of 2

noun

ˈdük 

also ˈdyük

1

: a sovereign male ruler of a continental European duchy

2

: a nobleman of the highest hereditary rank

especially : a member of the highest grade of the British peerage

3

[probably from dukes of York, rhyming slang for fork (hand, fist)] slang : fist, hand

—usually used in plural

dukedom

ˈdük-dəm 

also ˈdyük-

noun

duke

2 of 2

verb

duked; duking

intransitive verb

: fight

see also:

duke it out

Examples of duke in a Sentence

Noun

Put up your dukes and fight, you coward!

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The duke traditionally accompanies the monarch in the lead carriage of the Royal Procession, a custom that dates back to 1825, when the first Duke of Wellington rode alongside King George IV. —Katie Nicholl, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026

After his death, the property was passed down to various dukes and duchesses—until World War II, when the building took on quite another purpose. —Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 11 June 2026

Verb

Revel Sports Tavern has become a hot spot for soccer fans to gather and enjoy a cold beer as their teams duke it out for 90 minutes. —Kansas City Star, 15 June 2026

Played every four years, the World Cup is an opportunity for countries across the globe to bring their best players to the field and duke it out for the title of best soccer team on the planet. —Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French duc, from Latin duc-, dux, from ducere to lead — more at tow entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1935, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing duke

• duke it out
• grand duke

Rhymes for duke

• fluke
• juke
• kook
• luc
• luke
• nuke
• puke
• souk
• spook
• archduke
• rebuke
• caoutchouc

Kids Definition

duke

noun

ˈd(y)ük

1

: a soveriegn ruler of a duchy

2

: a nobleman of the highest rank especially of the British nobility

3

slang : fist sense 1

—usually used in plural

Biographical Definition

Duke

biographical name

ˈdük 

ˈdyük

Benjamin Newton 1855–1929 and his brother James Buchanan 1856–1925 American tobacco industrialists