n.
- a male holding the highest hereditary title in the British and certain other peerages.
- chiefly historical (in parts of Europe) a male ruler of a small independent state.
-
(dukes)
informal the fists.
Phrase
- duke it out
N. Amer. informal fight it out.
Derivative
Etymology
OE, from OFr. duc, from L. dux, duc- ‘leader’, rel. to ducere ‘to lead’; sense 3 is from rhyming sl. Duke of Yorks ‘forks’ (= fingers).
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