dukes

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of duke.

   Several dukes refused to attend the coronation, and their absence was noticed by everyone.

   "Come on, put your dukes up and show me what you've got," he said, bouncing on his toes.

   Note

   The regular plural serves every meaning of duke, from noblemen and grand dukes to the Asian butterflies of the same name. In the slang meaning "fists" the plural is the normal form, which is why the challenge is put your dukes up rather than anything with one duke. The same spelling also does duty as the verb after he or she.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of duke.

   He dukes the bellhop a twenty and asks for a room facing the water.

   In the final round, the challenger dukes his opponent back against the ropes.

   Note

   The verb behind this form has two casual meanings and one stately one. Hitting with the fists is informal and tipping is slang; both take the person on the receiving end as object (the challenger dukes his opponent), and the tipping meaning can add the amount, as in dukes the bellhop a twenty. The stately one is ruling as a duke.

3. 3
   nounslangplural

   A person's parents.

   I can't link tonight, my dukes want me home for dinner.

   His dukes finally let him borrow the car for the weekend.

   Similarparents, folks

   Note

   The slang comes from Multicultural Toronto English, and it lives only in the plural: my dukes means both parents together, and there is no singular for one of them. It belongs to casual talk among friends (my dukes want me home); in writing or in formal settings, parents is the word to use.

Showing meanings only. Show all 3