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duke

Syllabification: (duke)
Pronunciation: /d(y)o͞ok/
Translate duke | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of duke

noun

  • 1a male holding the highest hereditary title in the British and certain other peerages.
  • chiefly historical (in some parts of Europe) a male ruler of a small independent state.
  • 2 (dukes) informal the fists, especially when raised in a fighting attitude.
    [from rhyming slang Duke of Yorks 'forks' (= fingers)]

verb

[no object] (duke it out) North American informal
  • fight it out.

Origin:

Old English (denoting the ruler of a duchy), from Old French duc, from Latin dux, duc- 'leader'; related to ducere 'to lead'

duke in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of duke in the British & World English dictionary

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