au

¹ American  

[oh] / oʊ /

French.

plural

aux

1. to the; at the; with the.

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Au ² American  

abbreviation

1. author. Also au

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Au ³ American  

Symbol, Chemistry.

1. gold.

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AU ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. astronomical unit.

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A.U. ⁵ American  

Or a.u.

abbreviation

1. angstrom unit.

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Au ¹ British  

symbol

1. gold

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au ² British  

abbreviation

1. Australia

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AU ³ British  

abbreviation

1. African Union

2. Also: a.u..  angstrom unit

3. Also: a.u..  astronomical unit

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AU Scientific  

1. Abbreviation of astronomical unit

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Etymology

Origin of Au

From the Latin word aurum

Example Sentences

On the menu is uni pasta, hanger steak au poivre and a dry-aged burger with fries, which restaurant critic Bill Addison says doesn’t require any twists because “it’s simply a fantastic burger.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026

Anna, who arrived in Germany as an au pair from Ukraine 15 years ago, now works in human resources at the joint venture.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

Coquilles Saint-Jacques is essentially a frou-frou description for scallops au gratin, more often prepared as a casserole than in those magical shells which are harder to find these days.

From Salon • Nov. 1, 2025

Warnings are also in effect parts of Haiti including the capital, Port au Prince, the Dominican Republic and eastern Cuba, where Melissa is anticipated to bring similar effects by the middle of next week.

From BBC • Oct. 26, 2025

It’s empty now, but in a few hours it will be swarming with toddlers, mothers and au pairs.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins