duke

IPA/djuːk/
KK[dˈuk]IPA/duːk/

duke — noun

  • dukesingular
  • dukesplural

1. a man who belongs to the highest social class of nobility in some countries and

1.nounB1
Definition

a man who belongs to the highest social class of nobility in some countries and who, in parts of Europe in earlier times, governed a small independent territory

Example

The duke visited the village school and spoke with each teacher.

Sumin's grandfather once worked as a gardener for a duke in England.

Common collocations
  • duke of [place]
  • the Duke of York / Kent / Edinburgh
  • a duke ruled...
  • the duke's estate
Synonyms
  • nobleman

    a general term for a man of high social rank, not tied to a specific title

  • peer

    a British term for a person with a noble title, often used in legal contexts

Grammar Patterns

duke + of + place

Usage Note

The full title of a duke usually includes the name of a place, for example 'the Duke of York'. The wife of a duke is called a duchess.

Common Mistakes

The duke of' (without a place name).
The duke of Wellington' or simply 'a duke'.
'duke of' must be followed by a place or territory name.

duke — verb

Word family

  • duchess
    nounB1
  • duchy
    nounC1
  • dukedom
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to male members of the nobility, but they indicate different ranks in a hierarchy. A duke is the highest-ranking noble below a monarch — the title 'Duke of [place]' traditionally meant the ruler of that territory. A prince is usually the son of a king or queen, or the ruler of a small principality; in some contexts 'prince' can outrank 'duke', but in British peerage the duke is higher. An earl (count in other European systems) is one step below a duke. A baron is at the bottom of the titled nobility. For a learner, knowing that 'duke' is the top title among hereditary nobles is the key takeaway. For example: 'The Duke of Wellington outranked every earl at the ceremony, but the visiting prince sat next to the king.'

duke ↗prince ↗earl ↗baron ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • duke's palace
  • duke's estate
  • duke's title
  • duke's family

Phrases

  • the Duke of [place]
  • a duke and his duchess

Prepositions

  • duke of [place]
  • duke in [country]

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'duke' comes from the Latin 'dux', meaning 'leader' or 'commander', which passed into French as 'duc' and entered English around the 12th century after the Norman Conquest. In the Roman army, a 'dux' was a military leader, and the title later evolved into a hereditary noble rank in medieval Europe. — Did you know? The name 'Duke' is also famous through the Duke family: Benjamin Newton Duke (1855–1929) and his brother James Buchanan Duke (1856–1925), who built a large tobacco business in the United States. Duke University in North Carolina was named after the family. This use of 'Duke' as a surname or place name is not directly connected to the noble title, but it is a well-known association for many English speakers.

First known use

12th century

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Verb