Dūke, n.

n. [Fr., Pr., & O. Sp. duc, N. Sp. & Pg. duque, It. duca, duce, Venetian doge, M. Gr. δοῦξ, acc. δοῦκα, from Lat. dux, ducis, leader, commander, from ducere, to lead, allied to A-S. teóhan, contracted teón, Goth. tiuhan, O. H. Ger. ziohan, N. H. Ger. ziehen, Eng. tug and tow, whence A-S. teoche, leader, heretoga, an army-leader, general, O. Sax. heritogo, D. hertog, Dan. hertug, Sw. hertig, O. H. Ger. herzogo, herizogo, herizobo, N. H. Ger. herzog.] 1. A leader; a chief; a prince. [Obs.] “Hannibal, duke of Carthage.” Sir T. Elyot. All these the duke Alphenor led. Chapman. All were dukes once, who were duces—captains or leaders of their people. Trench.

2. One of the highest order of nobility next below the Prince of Wales; as, the duke of Bedford, or of Norfolk. [Eng.]
3. A sovereign prince, in some European countries, without the title of king; as, the duke of Holstein, of Savoy, of Parma, &c.

To dine with Duke Humphrey, to go without dinner. The phrase is said to have originated in this: that persons destitute of the means of procuring a meal frequently loitered about in old St. Paul’s Church, London, where Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, was said to be buried, in hope of an invitation to dinner from some of the passers by.