nephew
[ nef-yoo or, esp. British, nev-yoo ]
/ ˈnɛf yu or, esp. British, ˈnɛv yu /
noun
a son of one's brother or sister.
a son of one's spouse's brother or sister.
an illegitimate son of a clergyman who has vowed celibacy (used as a euphemism).
Obsolete. a direct descendant, especially a grandson.
Obsolete. a remote male descendant, as a grandnephew or cousin.
Nearby words
nephele, nepheline, nephelinite, nephelite, nephelometer, nephew, nephilim, nepho-, nephogram, nephograph, nephology
Origin of nephew
1250–1300; Middle English neveu < Old French < Latin nepōtem, accusative of nepōs nephew, grandson; akin to Old English nefa, Dutch neef, German Neffe, Old Norse nefi; the pseudo-etymological spelling with ph has influenced pronunciation
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for nephew
British Dictionary definitions for nephew
nephew
/ (ˈnɛvjuː, ˈnɛf-) /
noun
a son of one's sister or brother
Word Origin for nephew
C13: from Old French neveu, from Latin nepōs; related to Old English nefa, Old High German nevo relative
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for nephew
nephew
c.1300, from Old French neveu (Old North French nevu) "grandson, descendant," from Latin nepotem (nominative nepos) "sister's son, grandson, descendant," in post-Augustan Latin, "nephew," from PIE *nepot- "grandchild," and in a general sense, "male descendant other than son" (cf. Sanskrit napat "grandson, descendant;" Old Persian napat- "grandson;" Old Lithuanian nepuotis "grandson;" Dutch neef; German Neffe "nephew;" Old Irish nia, genitive niath "son of a sister," Welsh nei). Used in English in all the classical senses until meaning narrowed in 17c., and also as a euphemism for "the illegitimate son of an ecclesiastic" (1580s). The Old English cognate, nefa "nephew, stepson, grandson, second cousin" survived to 16c.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper