(in Continental Europe) the male ruler of a duchy; the sovereign of a small state.
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.
a nobleman of corresponding rank in certain other countries.
a cultivated hybrid of the sweet and sour cherry.
Slang. dukes, fists; hands.
Put up your dukes.
Benjamin Newton, 1855–1929, and his brother, James Buchanan, 1856–1925, U.S. industrialists.
a male given name.
a nobleman of high rank: in the British Isles standing above the other grades of the nobility
the prince or ruler of a small principality or duchy
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”; see dux; duke def. 5 dukes (in the sense “fists”) of unclear derivation and perhaps of distinct origin
A duke is a member of a royal or noble group. In some places, dukes rule over certain regions, while in others duke is just an honorary title. In the U.K., a duke inherits his title from his parents. Prince William, for example, is the Duke of Cambridge, while his father Prince Charles is the Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay. The equivalent title for a woman is duchess. Informally, duke has a very different meaning in the U.S. — if you "duke it out," you have a fight, and to "put up your dukes" means to clench your fists and get ready to punch.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The Gilded Age” pulls inspiration from New York City’s 19th century elite, with Gladys Russell’s reluctant betrothal to an English duke nodding to socialite Consuelo Vanderbilt’s lavish nuptials a decade later.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
In Birmingham on Thursday, the duke celebrated the efforts of the WellChild charity, which he has supported for many years, becoming patron in 2007.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
The theatre, initially called the Trafalgar Square theatre, became the Duke of York's in 1895, named after the duke who went on to become King George V.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
Mexico and South Korea duke it out at 9.
From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2026
He wanted a room, and the innkeeper, on recognizing him, said, "Of course. I'd give you a room if I had to take it away from the most powerful duke in Spain."
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
This involved playing a part in plans for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's changed role and their departure from the UK in 2020.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
The collaborative research team, led by scientists from Duke University School of Medicine, created a first-of-its-kind therapy designed to restore the normal length of the mRNA that produces SPSB1.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
“Not all platonic marriages work out,” says Duke Law Firm, which has offices in Rochester and Lakeville, N.Y.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
What happens when you launch a 671-hp Bentley up the Duke of Richmond’s treacherous driveway?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
“I’m pretty sure that Tater, Duke, and the other dogs are being held hostage at the Seaside Sandman Motel.”
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
The company raised its dividend in April, and some strategists see the potential for a special dividend on the horizon, as the Costco dukes it out with the government over tariffs.
From Barron's ● May 28, 2026
Meanwhile, Abdulmejid and his family lived a glitzy Riviera life, attending dances, we are told, with “four or five kings and any number of princes, dukes and counts.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026
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 ● Oct. 13, 2024
I don't know a single person who doesn't, and I will put up my dukes for Ava.
From Salon ● Feb. 14, 2023
She told him that in the Renaissance the most famous dukes were known for their aesthetic taste and patronage of the arts, and this idea appealed to him.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
After losing to world champion Littler in last year's final, Humphries triumphed 11-8 in the repeat as the world's top two duked it out at O2 Arena.
From BBC ● May 29, 2025
For more than a decade, about 10 individuals and a handful of corporations have duked it out in California Superior Court trying to prove they are the rightful owners of the stone.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 23, 2024
As the insects groomed each other, the six types of fungi duked it out among themselves, with no clear winner taking over, the team reports this month in Nature Ecology & Evolution.
From Science Magazine ● Feb. 9, 2023
The two have duked it out for the top spot, trading places frequently through much of this year as both companies’ share prices rose.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 5, 2021
Eunice rebuked Her thoughts of gentler blood, when these had duked It with the best, and scorned to change their name.
From Men, Women and Ghosts by Lowell, Amy
For fans like Hawk, duking it out for tickets on the open market against New York’s 1% was simply a no-win proposition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
The primary bedroom also comes with a fireplace, as well as an expansive walk-in closet and a spa bathroom, perfect for relaxation after a long day of duking it out on air.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 8, 2026
“Nickel Boys” “At this stage, two Cannes prizewinners are duking it out for the top spot: Sean Baker’s box-office hit ‘Anora’ and Jacques Audiard’s ‘Emilia Pérez.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2024
Kevin Magnussen and Lewis Hamilton are duking it out for that final point place.
From BBC ● May 3, 2024
Cal and Navy were duking it out for the lead.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
