Wordnet 3.0
NOUN (2)
1.
a British peer of the highest rank;
2.
a nobleman (in various countries) of high rank;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Duke \Duke\ (d[=u]k) v. i.
To play the duke. [Poetic]
[1913 Webster]
Lord Angelo dukes it well in his absence. -- Shak.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
duke \duke\ (d[=u]k) v. t.
To beat with the fists. [slang]
[PJC]
to duke it out to fight; -- usually implying, to fight with
the fists; to settle a dispute by fighting with the fists.
See duke, n. sense 4.
[PJC]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Duke \Duke\ (d[=u]k), n. [F. duc, fr. L. dux, ducis, leader,
commander, fr. ducere to lead; akin to AS. te['o]n to draw;
cf. AS. heretoga (here army) an army leader, general, G.
herzog duke. See Tue, and cf. Doge, Duchess, Ducat,
Duct, Adduce, Deduct.]
1. A leader; a chief; a prince. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
Hannibal, duke of Carthage. --Sir T.
Elyot.
[1913 Webster]
All were dukes once, who were "duces" -- captains or
leaders of their people. --Trench.
[1913 Webster]
2. In England, one of the highest order of nobility after
princes and princesses of the royal blood and the four
archbishops of England and Ireland.
[1913 Webster]
3. In some European countries, a sovereign prince, without
the title of king.
[1913 Webster]
4. pl. The fists; as, put up your dukes. [slang]
[PJC]
Duke's coronet. See Illust. of Coronet.
To dine with Duke Humphrey, to go without dinner. See under
Dine.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
duke
n 1: a British peer of the highest rank
2: a nobleman (in various countries) of high rank
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
39 Moby Thesaurus words for "duke":
Brahman, archduke, aristocrat, armiger, baron, baronet, blue blood,
count, daimio, earl, esquire, gentleman, grand duke, grandee,
hidalgo, lace-curtain, laird, landgrave, lord, lordling, magnate,
magnifico, margrave, marquis, noble, nobleman, optimate, palsgrave,
patrician, peer, seigneur, seignior, silk-stocking, squire, swell,
thoroughbred, upper-cruster, viscount, waldgrave
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary:
Duke
derived from the Latin dux, meaning "a leader;" Arabic, "a
sheik." This word is used to denote the phylarch or chief of a
tribe (Gen. 36:15-43; Ex. 15:15; 1 Chr. 1:51-54).