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Duchess vs Baroness - What's the difference?

duchess | baroness |

As nouns the difference between duchess and baroness

is that duchess is the female spouse or widow of a duke while baroness is the female ruler of a barony. The male equivalent is baron.

As a verb duchess

is to court or curry favour for political or business advantage; to flatter obsequiously.

As a proper noun Duchess

is a village in Alberta, Canada.

duchess

English

Noun

(es)
  • The female spouse or widow of a duke.
  • * 2012 , Caroline Davies, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announce they are expecting first baby'' (in ''The Guardian , 3 December 2012)[http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/dec/03/duke-and-duchess-of-cambridge-expecting-baby?intcmp=122]
  • The Duke and Duchess' of Cambridge have ended months of intense speculation by announcing they are expecting their first child, but were forced to share their news earlier than hoped because of the ' Duchess's admission to hospital on Monday.
  • The female ruler of a duchy (where women can reign).
  • Verb

    (es)
  • (UK, informal) to court or curry favour for political or business advantage; to flatter obsequiously.
  • * 1956 , John Thomas Lang, I Remember , page 64,
  • On arrival in England he was “duchessed'” in a manner that no Australian Prime Minister has ever been “' duchessed ” before or since. Northcliffe was looking for someone around whom he could build a campaign against Asquith. Hughes filled the bill nicely.
  • * 1996 , , 2003, page 46,
  • ‘A word to the wise, Murray. Those wogs you?ve been duchessing at Ethnic Affairs have got nothing on the culture vultures. Tear the flesh right off your bones, they will.’
  • * 2004 , , A New Britannia , Fourth Edition, page 66,
  • The traditional version of Hughes? decision to introduce conscription gives central importance to his visit to London in April 1916 where it is alleged he was duchessed and deceived concerning recruitment figures.
  • * 2006 , Jacqueline Dickenson, Renegades and Rats: Betrayal and the Remaking of Radical Organisations in Britain and Australia , page 144,
  • But by 1914 Grayson had, according to Groves, been thoroughly duchessed , believing that he could enjoy the good things in life and still serve the cause.

    baroness

    English

    Noun

    (es)
  • The female ruler of a barony. The male equivalent is baron.