archduke

[ ahrch-dook, -dyook ]

noun

1. a title of the sovereign princes of the former ruling house of Austria.

archduke

/ ˈɑːtʃˈdjuːk /

noun

1. a chief duke, esp (since 1453) a prince of the Austrian imperial dynasty

Word History and Origins

Origin of archduke¹

1520–30; earlier archeduke < French archeduc (now archiduc ). See arch- ¹, duke

Example Sentences

Smiling expansively and nodding to the crowd, the archduke was riding in an open car through the streets of Sarajevo on the fateful Sunday morning of June 28, 1914.

From Literature

“In 1914, such a chain reaction led, in the space of four weeks, from the assassination of a Habsburg archduke by a Serbian nationalist to all-out war between the Great Powers.”

From Washington Times

Pinto is close enough to see the archduke choke on his own blood.

From Washington Post

Von Habsburg, 81, is the archduke of Austria — he’s a descendant of Marie Antoinette’s mother — and an authority on Faberge eggs.

From Los Angeles Times

We had been told to climb over a metal gate off a side road at Son Marroig, the former estate of an Austrian archduke, to find the unmarked trail.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• aristocrat
• blue blood
• emperor
• patrician