n. 1. In certain royal families, especially that of imperial Austria, a nobleman having a rank equivalent to that of a sovereign prince. 2. Used as a title for such a nobleman. [Obsolete French archeduc : arche-, arch- (from Old French; see ARCH-1) + duc, duke (from Old French; see DUKE).] arch·dukedom n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.