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uncle

[uhng-kuhl]

Example Sentences Origin

noun

a brother of one's father or mother.

an aunt's husband.

a familiar title or term of address for any elderly man.

Slang. a pawnbroker.

(initial capital letter) Informal. Uncle Sam.

EXPAND

a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter U.

COLLAPSE

Idiom

say/cry uncle, Informal. to concede defeat: They ganged up on him in the schoolyard and made him say uncle.

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Uncle is always a great word to know.

So is shill. Does it mean:

characterized by or defining oneself by ecological awareness, liberal political views, and support or use of natural products and health foods

a person who publicizes or praises something or someone for reasons of self-interest, personal profit, or friendship or loyalty

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Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English < Anglo-French uncle, Old French oncle < Latin avunculus mother's brother, equivalent to av(us) mother's father + -unculus suffix extracted from diminutives of n-stems (see homunculus)

Related forms

un·cle·less, adjective

un·cle·ship, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To Uncle

Example Sentences

Uncle found a skull face carved on brownish rock, hand size, and the back of the rock is smooth.

Although an uncle left the chair to him, another family member who had it on loan seemed reluctant to surrender possession.

Imagine your uncle reaching deep into his book of puns to name scientific studies, and you'll get the idea.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

uncle (ˈʌŋk^əl)

—n
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.	slang a pawnbroker

Related: avuncular

[C13: from Old French oncle, from Latin avunculus; related to Latin avus grandfather]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

uncle

late 13c., from O.Fr. oncle, from L. avunculus "mother's brother," lit. "little grandfather," dim. of avus "grandfather," from PIE root *awo- "grandfather, adult male relative other than one's father" (cf. Arm. hav "grandfather," Lith. avynas "maternal uncle," O.C.S. uji "uncle," Welsh ewythr "uncle").

EXPAND

Replaced O.E. eam (usually maternal; paternal uncle was fædera), which represents the Gmc. form of the root (cf. Du. oom, O.H.G. oheim "maternal uncle," Ger. Ohm "uncle"). Also from French are Ger., Dan., Swed. onkel. First record of Dutch uncle (and his blunt, stern, benevolent advice) is from 1838; Welsh uncle (1747) was the first cousin of one's parent. To say uncle as a sign of submission in a fight is N.Amer., attested from 1918, of uncertain signification.

COLLAPSE

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary

Uncle (Sam) definition

and Uncle Sugar

n.
the personification of the U.S. : Uncle Sugar wants a little more of your money this year.
n.
a federal agent; federal agents. : Uncle has some pretty strong ideas about who's in charge of this investigation.

Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage

Idioms & Phrases

uncle

see cry uncle; Dutch uncle.