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.
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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
Words nearby nephew
nephanalysis, nephele, nepheline, nephelinite, nephelometer, nephew, nepho-, nephogram, nephograph, nephology, nephometer
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences 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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