Dukes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A noble rank in the aristocracy, often associated with land ownership; a slang term for the hands when preparing to punch or box; colloquially, it refers to the fists in the context of a brawl or altercation
2. A hereditary noble title ranking below a monarch and often linked to governance over a duchy ; informal term for a person's hands, especially when clenched into fists
3. A rank in nobility typically bestowed by a monarch and associated with territorial authority ; a colloquial expression referring to the fists used in fighting or boxing

Etymology: The word "dukes" is simply the plural of "duke", so its history is the history of that title. "Duke" came into English through Old French "duc" from Latin "dux", "ducis", meaning leader, which comes from the verb "ducere", to lead. English had its own word for the rank, "heretoga" (war-leader), but the Latin-derived term displaced it. An earlier form, "duc", was already in use in late Old English. The "fists" sense is a much later and humbler story. It is thought to come from Cockney rhyming slang, in which "Duke(s) of York" rhymes with "fork", itself slang for the hand, and so the fists by extension. The aristocratic title and the pugilist's hands thus meet only through a rhyme.

Synonyms: nobles, lords, aristocrats, princes, peers

Antonyms: commoners, plebeians, peasants, serfs, proletarians