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View synonyms for

uncle

[ uhng-kuhl ]

noun

  1. a brother of one's father or mother.
  2. an aunt's husband.
  3. a familiar title or term of address for any elderly man.
  4. Slang. a pawnbroker.
  5. (initial capital letter) Informal. Uncle Sam ( def ).
  6. a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter U.


uncle

/ ˈʌŋə /

noun

  1. a brother of one's father or mother
  2. the husband of one's aunt
  3. a term of address sometimes used by children for a male friend of their parents
  4. slang.
    a pawnbroker
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • ܲc· adjective
  • ܲc·󾱱 noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of uncle1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French uncle, Old French oncle, from Latin avunculus “mother's brother,” equivalent to av(us) “mother's father” + -unculus suffix extracted from diminutives of n-stems ( homunculus )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of uncle1

C13: from Old French oncle, from Latin avunculus; related to Latin avus grandfather
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. say / cry uncle, Informal. to concede defeat:

    They ganged up on him in the schoolyard and made him say uncle.

More idioms and phrases containing uncle

see cry uncle ; Dutch uncle .
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Though toys lit his spark, it was his uncles’ street-racing days, and the Japanese cars they drove, that ultimately shaped his taste.

From

"Jorge knew how to be serious when needed, but he never lost his spontaneity or his sense of humour. He was a warm, approachable uncle, and I loved him deeply."

From

Or are you in search of fun and accessible places to take your uncle who uses a wheelchair and is visiting L.A. for the first time?

From

She added that the attackers killed her uncle too, who was standing next to her.

From

His family said he was a "loving, caring, fun, and intelligent" son, brother and uncle.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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