dukes
dukes Lexical Profile
dukes Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The plural form of duke; male monarchs or noblemen holding the highest hereditary title in the peerage outside the royal family.
"Several powerful dukes attended the royal coronation at Westminster Abbey."
A person's fists or hands, especially when raised in preparation for boxing or fighting (used in the plural).
"The old boxer told the newcomer to put up his dukes and defend himself in the ring."
• verb
To fight, box, or compete vigorously using one's fists or in a heated contest (third-person singular present of duke, usually used in the phrase 'dukes it out').
"The defending champion dukes it out with his chief rival in tonight's championship match."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to fists or hands in informal speech, 'dukes' is a plural-only noun (pluralia tantum) and is most frequently encountered in the idiom 'put up your dukes'.
• Rhymes for dukes
Word Origin & Etymology
The noble title derives from Old French 'duc', from Latin 'dux' ('leader'), while the slang sense meaning 'fists' originated in 19th-century Cockney rhyming slang, shortened from 'Duke of Yorks' (rhyming with 'forks', a slang term for fingers or hands).