DUCHESS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does duchess mean? 

• DUCHESS (noun)
  The noun DUCHESS has 1 sense:

1. the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right

  Familiarity information: DUCHESS used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DUCHESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("duchess" is a kind of...):

Lady; noblewoman; peeress (a woman of the peerage in Britain)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "duchess"):

grand duchess (the wife of a grand duke or a woman holding that rank in her own right)

 Context examples 

I have more than once observed to Lady Catherine, that her charming daughter seemed born to be a duchess, and that the most elevated rank, instead of giving her consequence, would be adorned by her.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Like most young scribblers, she went abroad for her characters and scenery, and banditti, counts, gypsies, nuns, and duchesses appeared upon her stage, and played their parts with as much accuracy and spirit as could be expected.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)