uni

¹ American  

[yoo-nee] / ˈyu ni /

noun

Informal.

1. a uniformed police officer; uniform.

   A uni phoned in the burglary at 2:19 this morning.

2. British and Australian. university.

   Tony and Marc are both off to uni in two weeks.

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uni- ² American  

1. a combining form occurring in loanwords from Latin (universe ), used, with the meaning “one,” in the formation of compound words (unicycle ).

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uni- ¹ British  

combining form

1. consisting of, relating to, or having only one

   unilateral

   unisexual

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uni ² British  

/ ˈjuːnɪ /

noun

1. informal short for university

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Usage

What does uni- mean? Uni- is a combining form used like a prefix, meaning “one.”  Uni- appears in a wide variety of everyday and technical terms alike.Uni- comes from the Latin ūnus, meaning “one.” The Greek counterpart of uni- is mono-, as in monologue. Learn more at our Words That Use article on the form.

Etymology

Origin of uni¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; by shortening

Origin of uni-²

< Latin ūni- combining form of ūnus one; -i-

Example Sentences

Chloe Harmer, 20, used backlighting strips on her mirror in her uni room.

From BBC

From uni rooms to family homes we've spoken to interiors enthusiasts whose vision and know-how have transformed basic box rooms into stylish spaces.

From BBC

Emily Lilburn, 21, says colour-changing lightbulbs and battery operated candles helped her make three bland and bare uni rooms colourful and cosy.

From BBC

"I'd done a lot of more serious plays at uni but I was always a lover of comedy and decided to give it a crack after I left," she recalled.

From BBC

Ora King salmon crudo was dressed in passionfruit aguachile with Tabasco oil, while a uni carbonara used creamy sea urchin in place of guanciale, finished with smoked trout roe.

From Salon