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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)Uncle Sam.

  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. slanga 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

  • uncleless adjective
  • uncleship 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, to concede defeat.

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

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The Northern Irish rider has carried on racing after the death of his father, brother and uncle in road accidents.

From

His nephew recalled a soft side, his uncle picking him up and giving him a good tickle.

From

Thomas said he was worried about his uncle’s safety in federal custody and that he, like many others, was sad and scared by the sight of National Guard members in the streets.

From

We laughed and listened to Grammy tell stories about when our dad and our aunt and uncle were little.

From

It's true that as an 11-year-old, his uncle gave him a Leicester shirt.

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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