Aunt
Pronunciation
- enPR: änt, IPA: /É‘(Ë)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: -É‘Ënt
- 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: /ɔnt/ in the US, primarily in New England
- Homophones: ain't
- IPA: /ʊ͡ənt̚/ 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 mÅdriÄ¡e ("maternal aunt"); compare Old English faþu#Old English ("faþu, faþe#Old English")).
Full definition of aunt
Noun
aunt
(plural aunts)- 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.
- (also great-aunt or grandaunt) A person's grandparent's sister or sister-in-law.
- (usually auntie) A grandmother.
- An affectionate term for a woman of an older generation than oneself, especially a friend of one's parents, by means of fictive kin.
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