duke

1 of 2

noun

ˈdük How to pronounce duke (audio)
 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 How to pronounce duke (audio)
 also  ˈdyük-
noun

duke

2 of 2

verb

duked; duking
Phrases
duke it out
: to engage in a fight and especially a fistfight

Examples of duke in a Sentence

Noun Put up your dukes and fight, you coward!
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Trump’s animosity towards the duke and his American former TV actor wife stems from several grievances. Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2024 Meanwhile, his wife is a stylish and gracious psychiatrist whose sister married a duke; his children are a cerebral lesbian fashion model and a hyperkinetic globe-trotting DJ. Randy Boyagoda, The Atlantic, 16 Aug. 2024
Verb
Marshall presided over the show while some of its most iconic guests duked it out for circles and squares. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 16 Aug. 2024 Cut to the two duking it out in a mud wrestling match, which should honestly become a mainstay in more HBO prestige dramas. Abby Monteil, Them, 5 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for duke 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'duke.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

circa 1947, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of duke was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near duke

Cite this Entry

“Duke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/duke. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.

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 How to pronounce Duke (audio)
ˈdyük
Benjamin Newton 1855–1929 and his brother James Buchanan 1856–1925 American tobacco industrialists
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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