Uncle Sam

American  

noun

1. a personification of the government or people of the U.S.: represented as a tall, lean man with white chin whiskers, wearing a blue tailcoat, red-and-white-striped trousers, and a top hat with a band of stars.

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Uncle Sam British  

noun

1. a personification of the government of the United States

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Uncle Sam Cultural  

1. A figure who stands for the government of the United States and for the United States itself. Uncle Sam — whose initials are the abbreviation of United States — is portrayed as an old man with a gray goatee who sports a top hat and Stars and Stripes clothing. During World War I and World War II, posters of Uncle Sam exhorted young men to join the armed forces. (Compare John Bull.)

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Etymology

Origin of Uncle Sam

An Americanism dating back to 1805–15; extension of the initials U.S.

Example Sentences

The jump in borrowing costs will add to Uncle Sam’s interest tab, already around $1 trillion annually.

From The Wall Street Journal

So what in the name of Uncle Sam happened?

From MarketWatch

American car buyers anxious about rising gas prices will find that many electric vehicles are as cheap as they have ever been—even without Uncle Sam’s help.

From The Wall Street Journal

Now we were waiting for Uncle Sam and the Gold Dust Twins because we wanted every year to be just like last year.

From Literature

Anthropic’s standoff with the Defense Department has cost it Uncle Sam as a customer, but it has brought a momentary advantage in the ferocious talent war between rival artificial intelligence labs.

From The Wall Street Journal