n., pl., -quis·es (-kwĭ-sĭz), or mar·quis (mär-kēz'), or -quess·es (-kwĭ-sĭz).
- A nobleman ranking below a duke and above an earl or a count.
- Used as a title for such a nobleman.
[Middle English marques, from Old French marchis, marquis, from marche, border country, of Germanic origin.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
