duke en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dewk- Proto-Indo-European *déwkti Proto-Italic *doukō Latin dūcō Proto-Indo-European *-s Latin -s Latin dux, ducemlbor. Old French ducder. English duke 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.
Meanings
- The male ruler of a duchy (female equivalent: duchess).
- The sovereign of a small state.
- A high title of nobility; the male holder of a dukedom.
- A grand duke.
- Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the Asian genera Bassarona and Dophla.
-
(plural-normally, slang) A fist.
“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:Put up your dukes!
"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:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| dukes | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
count · monarch · earl · countess · viscount · baron · jarl · prince · marquis · marquess
Deriveds
Duke of Norfolk's Island · Dukes County · grand duke · Duke blue · unduke · beduke · dukeling · dukeship · Duke of York's Island · duke cherry · put up one's dukes · dukely · duke it out · dukedom · grand dukedom · dukery · archduke · Duke City · dukicide
Hypernyms
Relateds
duchess · grand duchy · ducal · duchy
Translations (178)
pl wielki książe (grand duke) · pl wojewoda (male ruler of a duchy) · vo ledük (grand duke) · ru воево́да (male ruler of a duchy) · hu herceg (male holder of a dukedom) · da hertug (male holder of a dukedom) · yue 公爵 (male ruler of a duchy) · ang eorl (male ruler of a duchy) · bg дук (male ruler of a duchy) · sq dukë (male ruler of a duchy) · ms adipati (male ruler of a duchy) · ang heretoga (male holder of a dukedom) · ang eorl (male holder of a dukedom) · sk vojvoda (male ruler of a duchy) · nb storhertug (grand duke) · ga ard-diúc (grand duke) · fr duc (male ruler of a duchy) · fi herttua (male holder of a dukedom) · th ดยุก (male ruler of a duchy) · nn hertug (male holder of a dukedom) · grc δούξ (male ruler of a duchy) · cs velkovévoda (grand duke) · mnc ᡤᡠᠩ (male ruler of a duchy) · li hertog (male ruler of a duchy) · wa duk (male holder of a dukedom) · vo dük (male holder of a dukedom) · ru ге́рцог (male ruler of a duchy) · sv hertig (male ruler of a duchy) · ang ealdorman (male holder of a dukedom) · ps ډیوک (male ruler of a duchy) · cs vévoda (male ruler of a duchy) · haw duke (male holder of a dukedom) · yi הערצאָג (male ruler of a duchy) · fa-ira دوک (male ruler of a duchy) · de Herzog (male ruler of a duchy) · nn hertug (male ruler of a duchy) · he דֻּכָּס (male ruler of a duchy) · sl vojvoda (male ruler of a duchy) · hu herceg (male ruler of a duchy) · hy դուքս (male ruler of a duchy) · de Grossherzog (grand duke) · el δούκας (male ruler of a duchy) · ms demang (male ruler of a duchy) · km ចៅពញា (male ruler of a duchy) · fro duc (male ruler of a duchy) · grc δούξ (male holder of a dukedom) · lv lielhercogs (grand duke) · vo dük (male ruler of a duchy) · dsb wójwoda (male ruler of a duchy) · lv hercogs (male ruler of a duchy) · uk ге́рцог (male ruler of a duchy) · wa duk (male ruler of a duchy) · fi suurherttua (grand duke) · bg войво́да (male ruler of a duchy) · vo hidük (male ruler of a duchy) · lt hercogas (male holder of a dukedom) · id adipati (male ruler of a duchy) · th หมัด (slang: fist) · ga diúc (male ruler of a duchy) · sh vòjvoda (male ruler of a duchy) · es duque (male holder of a dukedom) · az knyaz (male ruler of a duchy) · nrf duc (male ruler of a duchy) · be ваяво́да (male ruler of a duchy) · ro duce (male ruler of a duchy) · mk војвода (male holder of a dukedom) · is hertogi (male ruler of a duchy) · ru князь (male ruler of a duchy) · nb hertug (male ruler of a duchy) · bg дук (male holder of a dukedom) · mi tiuka (male ruler of a duchy) · nb hertug (male holder of a dukedom) · be ге́рцаг (male ruler of a duchy) · et hertsog (male ruler of a duchy) · ang heretoga (male ruler of a duchy) · ka ჰერცოგი ერისთავი (male ruler of a duchy) · pro duc (male ruler of a duchy) · it duca (male ruler of a duchy) · eo duko (male ruler of a duchy) · vo jidük (male ruler of a duchy) · he דוכס (male ruler of a duchy) · tg гертсог (male ruler of a duchy) · hi ड्यूक (male ruler of a duchy) · fy hartoch (male ruler of a duchy) · vo hidük (male holder of a dukedom) · de Großherzog (grand duke) · es duque (male ruler of a duchy) · vo hiledük (grand duke) · sh во̀јвода (male ruler of a duchy) · da hertug (male ruler of a duchy) · fo hertogi (male ruler of a duchy) · mr ड्यूक (male ruler of a duchy) · be князь (male ruler of a duchy) · nn storhertug (grand duke) · pt duque (male holder of a dukedom) · vi công tước (male ruler of a duchy) · ca duc (male holder of a dukedom) · fo hertogi (male holder of a dukedom) · cs vévoda (male holder of a dukedom) · gl duque (male ruler of a duchy) · ga diúc (male holder of a dukedom) · az knyaz (male holder of a dukedom) · ca duc (male ruler of a duchy) · th ดยุก (grand duke) · id adipati (male holder of a dukedom) · ang ealdorman (male ruler of a duchy) · lt hercogas (male ruler of a duchy) · uk воєво́да (male ruler of a duchy) · lb Herzog (grand duke) · tr duka (male ruler of a duchy) · haw duke (male ruler of a duchy) · mn гүн (male ruler of a duchy) · gd diùc (male ruler of a duchy) · ja 公爵 (male ruler of a duchy) · kk герцог (male ruler of a duchy) · hy հերցոգ (male ruler of a duchy) · az hersoq (male holder of a dukedom) · ky князь (male ruler of a duchy) · ota دوقه (male ruler of a duchy) · af hertog (male ruler of a duchy) · el μέγας δούκας (grand duke) · vo jidük (male holder of a dukedom) · az hersoq (male ruler of a duchy) · gd diùc (male holder of a dukedom) · pt duque (male ruler of a duchy) · dlm ducat (male ruler of a duchy) · gv duic (male ruler of a duchy) · mk голем војвода (grand duke) · pt grão-duque (grand duke) · el δούκας (male holder of a dukedom) · vo jiledük (grand duke) · bg вели́к хе́рцог (grand duke) · tr dük (male holder of a dukedom) · lv erchercogs (grand duke) · mk војвода (male ruler of a duchy) · bg хе́рцог (male ruler of a duchy) · th ดุ๊ก (male ruler of a duchy) · pl książę (male holder of a dukedom) · ko 공작 (male ruler of a duchy) · kk кінәз (male ruler of a duchy) · ky герцог (male ruler of a duchy) · mi tiuka (male holder of a dukedom) · fi herttua (male ruler of a duchy) · uz knyaz (male ruler of a duchy) · bn ডিউক (male ruler of a duchy) · is hertogi (male holder of a dukedom) · km អ្នកឧកញ៉ា (male ruler of a duchy) · oc duc (male ruler of a duchy) · ltg gercogs (male ruler of a duchy) · sl vojvoda (male holder of a dukedom) · th ดุ๊ก (male holder of a dukedom) · ar دُوق (male ruler of a duchy) · tr dük (male ruler of a duchy) · nrf duc (male holder of a dukedom) · uk князь (male ruler of a duchy) · tl duke (male ruler of a duchy) · lv hercogs (male holder of a dukedom) · da storfyrste (grand duke) · ug كىنەز (male ruler of a duchy) · tk gersog (male ruler of a duchy) · mr ड्यूक (male holder of a dukedom) · cmn 公爵 (male ruler of a duchy) · mn ᠭᠦ᠋ᠩ (male ruler of a duchy) · nl hertog (male ruler of a duchy) · gv ard-duic (grand duke) · th ดุ๊ก (grand duke) · bg юмру́к (slang: fist) · hi शासक (male ruler of a duchy) · bg хе́рцог (male holder of a dukedom) · la dux (male ruler of a duchy) · frm duc (male ruler of a duchy) · pl książę (male ruler of a duchy) · uz gersog (male ruler of a duchy) · da storhertug (grand duke) · th ดยุก (male holder of a dukedom) · ur ڈْیُوک (male ruler of a duchy) · yi הערצאָג (male holder of a dukedom) · ro duce (male holder of a dukedom)