Pronunciation: ' mär-kw ə s
Variant: or mar · quis \ ' mär-kw ə s, mär- ' k ē \
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural mar · quess · es or mar · quis · es \ -kw ə -s ə z \ or mar · quis \ - ' k ē (z) \
Etymology: Middle English marquis, markis, from Anglo-French marquys, markys, from marche march
Date: 14th century
1 : a nobleman of hereditary rank in Europe and Japan
2 : a member of the British peerage ranking below a duke and above an earl
– mar · quess · ate \ ' mär-kw ə -s ə t \ or mar · quis · ate \ ' mär-kw ə -z ə t, -s ə t \ noun