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duchess

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duch⋅ess

  [duhch-is]
Use duchess in a Sentence
–noun
1. the wife or widow of a duke.
2. a woman who holds in her own right the sovereignty or titles of a duchy.
Origin:
1300–50; ME duchesse < AF, OF, fem. deriv. of duc duke; see -ess

Related forms:
duch⋅ess⋅like, adjective

Usage note:
See -ess.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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duch·ess   (dŭch'ĭs)   
n.  

  1. The wife or widow of a duke.

  2. A woman holding title to a duchy in her own right.

  3. Abbr. D. Used as the title for such a noblewoman.


[Middle English duchesse, from Old French, from Medieval Latin ducissa, from Latin dux, duc-, leader; see duke.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

duchess 
c.1300, from O.Fr. duchesse, from L.L. or M.L. ducissa, fem. of dux (see duke).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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