duchess

noun

duch·​ess ˈdə-chəs How to pronounce duchess (audio)
1
: the wife or widow of a duke
2
: a woman who holds the rank of duke in her own right

Examples of duchess in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In the photo, the duchess is sitting next to her husband, who wears a blue suit. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 20 Feb. 2024 Before Ferguson’s appearance on Good Day Sacramento on September 29, 2000, Marianne McClary interviewed Adams about her connection to the duchess of York. Marsha Porter, Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2024 A week later, the duke and duchess returned to court. David Yaffe-Bellany, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024 Meghan Markle: duchess, actor, philanthropist, mental health advocate, coffee commercial extra? Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2023 Sussex enthusiasts will immediately spot that one of the workers in the background of each shot is actually the duchess herself. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 20 Dec. 2023 The couple was seen attending the singer's first show at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday night, along with the duchess's mother, Doria Ragland. Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 2 Sep. 2023 Before taking them down, Adams’s posts showed the duchess, alongside costars Gabriel Macht and Sarah Rafferty. Tatler, Glamour, 29 Sep. 2023 The designer used some of the duchess’s own textiles. José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'duchess.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English duchesse, from Anglo-French, from duc duke

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of duchess was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near duchess

Cite this Entry

“Duchess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/duchess. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

duchess

noun
duch·​ess ˈdəch-əs How to pronounce duchess (audio)
1
: the wife or widow of a duke
2
: a woman holding the rank of duke in her own right

More from Merriam-Webster on duchess

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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