duke

dʒuːk

3 definitions

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#1·3h ago

The male ruler of a duchy (female equivalent: duchess).

Put up your dukes!

Origin: From , through , duke, from . Displaced native . Was present as duc in late , from the same Latin source. . Ultimately from , which is also the source of the second component in . 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. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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#2·3h ago

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!”

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#3·3h ago

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."

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