noun
duke
jook
noun
1
A male ruler of a duchy, or a nobleman holding the highest rank below a prince.
"The duke inherited the estate from his late father."
2
(slang, usually plural "dukes") A fist, especially in the phrase "put up your dukes."
"He raised his dukes, ready to fight."
verb
1
(informal) To hit with the fists, or to fight.
"The two of them duked it out behind the bar."
2
(informal) To hand over money, especially as a tip or bribe.
"He duked the doorman twenty bucks to skip the line."
How to Use Duke
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA high-ranking nobleman — or, in slang, a fist (as in "put up your dukes") or a payment handed over.
Common pairings
duke it out
put up your dukes
the duke and duchess
Word Forms
duked past tense, dukes plural, Dukes plural, dukes singular
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The _____ inherited the estate from his late father.
Etymology
From Old French duc, from Latin dux, "leader." The slang sense meaning "fist" is thought to come from Cockney rhyming slang: "Duke of York" for "fork," itself old slang for "hand."