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

Yama Seafood Uni – The first time I tried uni — sea urchin — was at Shiro’s in Seattle.

From Salon

Yama Seafood carries an incredible selection of premium uni, from multiple grades of Hokkaido to more local options like Maine and Santa Barbara.

From Salon

The uni, roe, and shrimp are ready to serve.

From Salon

Some days they all work on the same project in the same computer lab at uni.

From BBC

"My dad graduated uni in Africa and graduated over here too, so he's an educated man. He could only want the same for his kids."

From BBC