duke

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See also: Duke and dûke

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
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Etymology

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 dux and doge.

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.[1]

Pronunciation

  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "UK" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /djuːk/, /dʒuːk/
  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "US" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /d(j)uːk/
  • Audio (UK):(file)
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -uːk
  • Homophone: juke (with yod coalescence)

Noun

duke (plural dukes)

  1. The male ruler of a duchy (female equivalent: duchess).
  2. The sovereign of a small state.
  3. A high title of nobility; the male holder of a dukedom.
    Hypernyms: title, holder
    Coordinate terms: baron, count, countess, earl, marquis, marquess, viscount, prince, monarch
  4. A grand duke.
  5. Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the Asian genera Bassarona and Dophla.
  6. (slang, usually in the plural) A fist.
    • 1952, Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man, Penguin Books (2014), page 438:
      “Your friend sure knows how to use his dukes. Biff, bang! One, two, and the copʼs on his ass!”
    • 1963, J P Donleavy, A Singular Man, published 1963 (USA), page 19:
      "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."
    Put up your dukes!

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb

duke (third-person singular simple present dukes, present participle duking, simple past and past participle duked)

  1. (transitive, informal) To hit or beat with the fists.
    • 2003, John A. Dinan, Private Eyes in the Comics, →ISBN, page 65:
      It seems that PI Rainer was duked by his wife […] .
  2. (slang, transitive) To give cash to; to give a tip to.
    Synonym: tip
    I duked him twenty dollars.

Derived terms

References

  1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “dukes”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Albanian

Etymology

from older ntuke. Also used as tue in Gheg.

Pronunciation

Particle

duke

  1. A particle which precedes a participle to form a gerundive adverbial phrase.
    duke kënduar — (while) singing, by singing

Bikol Central

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish duque.

Pronunciation

  • Hyphenation: du‧ke
  • IPA(key): /ˈduke/ [ˈd̪u.ke]

Noun

dúke

  1. duke

Middle English

Noun

duke

  1. Alternative form of duk (“duke”)

Scots

Verb

duke (third-person singular simple present dukes, present participle dukin, simple past dukit, past participle dukit)

  1. (intransitive) To cut into a queue, without permission.
  2. (transitive) To cut into a queue in front of someone.
    Oi, dinnae duke us!

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish duque (“duke”).

Pronunciation

  • Hyphenation: du‧ke
  • IPA(key): /ˈduke/, [ˈd̪uː.xɛ]

Noun

duke

  1. duke
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