Duke Meaning
/dʒuːk/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe male ruler of a duchy (female equivalent: duchess).
nounThe sovereign of a small state.
Sentence Examples
The duke holds a lot of land.
This only increased his desire to be revenged on the murderous duke.
The painting portrays the duke’s third wife.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The wealthy ____ owned a large castle in the countryside.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ holds a lot of land.
Word Origin & History
From Old French duc, through Middle English duk, duke, from Latin dux, ducis. Displaced native Old English heretoga. Was present as duc in late Old English, from the same Latin source. Doublet of doge, duc, duce, and dux. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dewk-, which is also the source of the second component in German Herzog. The “fist” sense is thought to be Cockney rhyming slang where “Duke(s) of York” = fork. Fork is itself Cockney slang for hand, and thus fist.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"“Your friend sure knows how to use his dukes. Biff, bang! One, two, and the copʼs on his ass!”"
— 1952, Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man, Penguin Books (2014), page 438:
""How did the sport go."
"O sparred a few rounds. Let the instructor have a few on the button."
"You must be tough."
"I can handle my dukes.""
— 1963, J P Donleavy, A Singular Man, published 1963 (USA), page 19:
"It seems that PI Rainer was duked by his wife […]."
— 2003, John A. Dinan, Private Eyes in the Comics, →ISBN, page 65:
"Percy’s military career began in France under Dukes Henry and John of Lancaster; […]"
— 2001, John Cannon, editor, A Dictionary of British History, Oxford University Press, published 2004, →ISBN:
""Whoa there, pardner," Kiril said in his best Duke impression, and grabbed hold of the armrest to keep from rolling into Fyodor's lap."
— 2000, Dana Stabenow, Midnight Come Again, →ISBN, page 4:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The wealthy ____ owned a large castle in the countryside.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ holds a lot of land.