duke
The sovereign of a small state.
Seen in the wild
#NowPlaying 🕔 5:23 pm 🎵 Ocean Drive 🧑🎤 Duke Dumont 🎧 Apple Music / YouTube Music 📝 Lyrics
I'm a fast reader when Duke Nukem is involved
Get back to work, you slacker! (upon seeing an office computer with Duke Nukem 3D on the screen)
BBC Radio 1 Dance Radio 1 Dance: with Matty Chiabi Now Playing Duke Dumont Need U (100%) (feat. A*M*E)
“Somehow, Napoleon returned.” -The Duke of Wellington
Definitions
The sovereign of a small state.
“Your friend sure knows how to use his dukes. Biff, bang! One, two, and the copʼs on his ass!”
“I'm a fast reader when Duke Nukem is involved”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Get back to work, you slacker! (upon seeing an office computer with Duke Nukem 3D on the screen)”
— Bluesky· May 2026““Somehow, Napoleon returned.” -The Duke of Wellington”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Feed: "Lead Stories" By: Alan Duke on Tuesday, May 5, 2026”
— Bluesky· May 2026“New research presented at #HRS2026 by DCRI faculty member Jonathan Piccini, MD, MHS, demonstrates positive findings on Abbott’s pulsed field ablation and pacing technologies for atrial fibrillation care. duke.is/b/37mm #AFib #Cardiology”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Comments
The male ruler of a duchy (female equivalent: duchess).
Put up your dukes!
Duke means: The male ruler of a duchy .. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up. For most families this word will pass by without incident; it is more a vocabulary curiosity than a parenting concern.
duke means: The male ruler of a duchy .. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.
Comments
A high title of nobility; the male holder of a dukedom.
"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."
Comments
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "duke".
🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "duke" (D)
Browse all slang words starting with D.