Uncle

Pronunciation

• enPR: Å­ngʹkÉ™l, IPA: /ˈʌŋ.kÉ™l/
• Rhymes: -ʌŋkÉ™l

Origin

Middle English uncle, from Anglo-Norman uncle, from Old French oncle, from Latin avunculus ("mother’s brother”; literally, “little grandfather"), diminutive of avus ("grandfather"), from Proto-Indo-European *awo- ("grandfather, adult male relative other than one's father"). Displaced native Middle English eam, eme ("maternal uncle") (from Old English ēam ("maternal uncle"), compare Old English fædera ("paternal uncle") from the same Proto-Indo-European root. More at eme.

Full definition of uncle

Noun

1. A brother or brother-in-law of someone’s parent.
• 1907, w, The Younger Set Chapter 1/2, And it was while all were passionately intent upon the pleasing and snake-like progress of their uncle that a young girl in furs...peeped perfunctorily into the nursery...and halted amazed.
2. My uncle is an atheist
3. (euphemistic) A companion to your (usually unmarried) mother.
4. (figuratively) A source of advice, encouragement, or help.
5. (British, informal) A pawnbroker.
6. (Southern US and parts of UK, colloquial) A close male friend of the parents of a family.
7. (Southern US, slang, archaic) an older male African-American person
8. (India, slang) An affectionate name for an older man.

Synonyms

• (dialectal, Scotland) eam, eme

Antonyms

• (with regard to gender) aunt
• (with regard to ancestry) niece, nephew
• (African-American) boy
• (India) aunty

Hyponyms

• (brother of someone’s father) paternal uncle
• (brother of someone’s mother) maternal uncle
• (uncle gained by marriage) uncle-in-law

Derived terms

• agony uncle
• Bob's your uncle
• cry uncle
• Dutch uncle
• grand-uncle
• great-uncle, great uncle
• holler uncle
• I'll be a monkey's uncle
• nuncle
• say uncle
• Uncle Sam
• Uncle Scrooge
• Uncle Tom

Related terms

• avuncular

Interjection

1. A cry used to indicate surrender.