Aunt

Pronunciation

• enPR: änt, IPA: /É‘(ː)nt/ in the Received Pronunciation of the UK; in Australia; in the US, New England and Virginia, where it is the most common pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɑːnt
• Homophones: aren't in some non-rhotic accents
• enPR: ănt, IPA: /ænt/ in the northern UK; in Canada; in the US, where it is the most common pronunciation in all regions except New England and Virginia

• Rhymes: -ænt
• Homophones: ant
• IPA: /É’nt/ in the Maritime provinces of Canada
• enPR: ônt, IPA: /É”nt/ in the US, primarily in New England

• IPA: /e͡ɪnt/ in the American South

• Homophones: ain't
• IPA: /ÊŠÍ¡É™ntÌš/ in New York City

• Homophones: on

Origin

From Middle English aunte, from Anglo-Norman aunte, from Old French ante, from Latin amita ("father's sister"). Displaced native Middle English modrie ("aunt") (from Old English mōdriġe ("maternal aunt"); compare Old English faþu#Old English ("faþu, faþe#Old English")).

Full definition of aunt

Noun

1. A sister or sister-in-law of someone’s parent.
• 2007, Nancy Eshelman, A Piece of My Mind: Columns from the Patriot-News, page 35:I mentioned another aunt, my late mother's sister, who's about the same age.
2. (also great-aunt or grandaunt) A person's grandparent's sister or sister-in-law.
3. (usually auntie) A grandmother.
4. An affectionate term for a woman of an older generation than oneself, especially a friend of one's parents, by means of fictive kin.

Antonyms

• with regard to gender uncle
• with regard to ancestry niece, nephew

Hyponyms

• sister of someone's father paternal aunt
• sister of someone's mother maternal aunt

Derived terms

• Auntie
• auntie, aunty
• agony aunt
• big auntie
• great-aunt
• grandaunt
• little auntie
• mine aunt# (cant) Mine aunt; a bawd or procuress: a title of eminence for the senior dells, who serve for instructresses, midwives, &c. for the dells.
• naunt

Anagrams

• tuna