uncle

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Antonyms 1.3.2 Hyponyms 1.3.3 Derived terms 1.3.4 Related terms 1.3.5 Translations 1.4 References

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

Via Middle English oncle and Old French oncle, from Latin avunculus (“‘mother’s brother”, literally “little grandfather’”), the diminutive of avus (“‘grandfather’”), from the Proto-Indo-European *awo- (“‘grandfather, adult male relative other than one's father’”)

this word replaced the Old English eam (“‘maternal uncle’”) / fædera (“‘paternal uncle’”), which represents the Germanic form of the same root.

[edit] Pronunciation

• enPR: ŭngʹkəl, IPA: /ˈʌŋ.kəl/, SAMPA: /"VN.k@l/

   Audio (US)^{help, file}

  Rhymes: -ʌŋkəl

[edit] Noun

uncle (plural uncles)

1. A brother or brother-in-law of someone’s parent.
2. (figuratively) A source of advice, encouragement, or help.
3. (British, informal) A pawnbroker.
4. (Southern US, colloquial) A close male friend of the parents of a family.

[edit] Antonyms

• (with regard to gender): aunt
• (with regard to ancestry): niece, nephew

[edit] Hyponyms

• (brother of someone’s father): paternal uncle
• (brother of someone’s mother): maternal uncle

[edit] 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
• say uncle
• Uncle Sam
• Uncle Scrooge
• Uncle Tom

[edit] Related terms

• avuncular

[edit] Translations

• See related paternal uncle and maternal uncle for more translations.

[edit] References

• “uncle” in the Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper, 2001 [1]