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duchess

noun
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duch·​ess | \ ˈdə-chəs How to pronounce duchess (audio) \

Definition of duchess

1 : the wife or widow of a duke
2 : a woman who holds the rank of duke in her own right

Examples of duchess in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And according to a new report in People magazine, the duchess always wanted to raise her children in the countryside. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, ""Country Mom" Kate Middleton Is Most at Home at Anmer Hall in Norfolk," 19 Dec. 2020 And the duchess' mixed brown tones are simple enough for us commoners to replicate with ease. — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "27 Best Meghan Markle Style Moments That You Can Recreate Yourself," 10 Dec. 2020 The duchess has also faced death threats, according to ITV, with British tabloids noting that online trolling has intensified since the fourth series. — Washington Post, "Netflix refuses to add disclaimer to ‘The Crown,’ despite pressure from the British government," 7 Dec. 2020 Even the duchess’s most casual moments can be impactful. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "Meghan Markle Is Spotlighting Ethical Fashion In Her Second Act," 15 Oct. 2020 The duke and duchess of Sussex have set their eyes on a new venture. — Spencer Neale, Washington Examiner, "Meghan Markle and Prince Harry enter multiyear deal with Spotify," 15 Dec. 2020 Today, the duchess announced her first public investment in Clevr Blends, a coffee company based in southern California led by Hannah Mendoza. — Victoria Murphy, Town & Country, "Meghan Markle Invests in Oat Milk Lattes and Oprah Is a Fan," 14 Dec. 2020 The duchess joined the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit and MPW Next Gen Summit this fall to discuss these issues. — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, "Exclusive: Meghan Markle makes her debut as a startup investor," 14 Dec. 2020 During another stop at Cardiff Castle in Wales, the duke and duchess chatted with students about what life has been like during the pandemic, while also sipping hot cocoa and roasting marshmallows. — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "Kate Middleton and Prince William Just Visited the Hospital Where She Was Born," 9 Dec. 2020

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.

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First Known Use of duchess

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for duchess

Middle English duchesse, from Anglo-French, from duc duke

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Time Traveler for duchess

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The first known use of duchess was in the 14th century

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Statistics for duchess

Last Updated

9 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Duchess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/duchess. Accessed 17 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for duchess

duchess

noun
How to pronounce duchess (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of duchess

: the wife or widow of a duke
: a woman who has the same rank as a duke

See the full definition for duchess in the English Language Learners Dictionary

duchess

noun
duch·​ess | \ ˈdə-chəs How to pronounce duchess (audio) \

Kids Definition of duchess

1 : the wife or widow of a duke
2 : a woman who has the same rank as a duke

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More from Merriam-Webster on duchess

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for duchess

Nglish: Translation of duchess for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about duchess

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