duke

¹

[ dook, dyook ]

noun

1. (in Continental Europe) the male ruler of a duchy; the sovereign of a small state.
2. a British nobleman holding the highest hereditary title outside the royal family, ranking immediately below a prince and above a marquis; a member of the highest rank of the British peerage.
3. a nobleman of corresponding rank in certain other countries.
4. a cultivated hybrid of the sweet and sour cherry.
5. dukes, Slang. fists; hands:

   Put up your dukes.

verb (used with object)

, duked, duk·ing.

1. Slang. to hit or thrash with the fists (sometimes followed by out ): The bully said he was going to duke out anyone who disagreed.

   He duked me because he said I had insulted him.

   The bully said he was going to duke out anyone who disagreed.

Duke

²

[ dook, dyook ]

noun

1. Benjamin Newton, 1855–1929, and his brother, James Buchanan, 1856–1925, U.S. industrialists.
2. a male given name.

duke

/ djuːk /

noun

1. a nobleman of high rank: in the British Isles standing above the other grades of the nobility
2. the prince or ruler of a small principality or duchy

Word History and Origins

Origin of duke¹

First recorded in 1100–50; Middle English duke, duc, late Old English duc, from Old French duc, dus, dux, from Medieval Latin dux “hereditary ruler of a small state,” Latin: “leader”; dux; duke def 5 dukes (in the sense “fists”) of unclear derivation and perhaps of distinct origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of duke¹

C12: from Old French duc, from Latin dux leader

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. duke it out, to fight, especially with the fists; do battle:

   The adversaries were prepared to duke it out in the alley.

Example Sentences

Had Pelosi gotten her way, Harris would have had to duke it out with Democrats in an open primary.

From Salon

He quotes a source as saying: "The duke is no longer a financial burden on the King."

From BBC

He said Myers illness was physically obvious but as soon as the cameras started rolling "he'd have his dukes up, ready for a scrap".

From BBC

But US judge Carl Nichols ruled on Monday that "the public does not have a strong interest in disclosure of the duke's immigration records".

From BBC

Days after it, the duke announced he was stepping back from royal duties, saying the Epstein scandal had become a "major disruption" to the Royal Family.

From BBC

Related Words

• slug