Definition of duchess
1 : the wife or widow of a duke
2 : a woman who holds the rank of duke in her own right
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Recent Examples of duchess from the Web
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Goya’s 1797 oil portrait of the Duchess of Alba has also emerged from six months of restoration at the Prado, which used a relining process to attach a new canvas to the back of the existing one.
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Duchess is currently the centre of an exhibit on streamlining, having been recently restored to her original streamlined condition – her casing had been removed in 1947 for maintenance-efficiency reasons.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'duchess'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of duchess
Middle English duchesse, from Anglo-French, from duc duke
DUCHESS Defined for English Language Learners
duchess
playDefinition of duchess for English Language Learners
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: the wife or widow of a duke
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: a woman who has the same rank as a duke
DUCHESS Defined for Kids
duchess
playDefinition of duchess for Students
1 : the wife or widow of a duke
2 : a woman who has the same rank as a duke
Learn More about duchess
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Spanish Central: Translation of duchess Nglish: Translation of duchess for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about duchess
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