uncle
a brother of one's father or mother.
an aunt's husband.
a familiar title or term of address for any elderly man.
Slang. a pawnbroker.
(initial capital letter)Informal. Uncle Sam.
a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter U.
Idioms about uncle
say / cry uncle, Informal. to concede defeat: They ganged up on him in the schoolyard and made him say uncle.
Origin of uncle
1Other words from uncle
- un·cle·less, adjective
- un·cle·ship, noun
Words Nearby uncle
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use uncle in a sentence
His mother took him and his two siblings to live with their uncle, John Mercer, a wealthy lawyer who owned one of the largest libraries in Virginia.
Thank This Forgotten Founding Father for Your ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ | Nick Fouriezos | September 27, 2020 | OzyMoreno publicly criticized Mariela Castro after she evoked her to defend the 1959 Cuban revolution that brought her uncle, Fidel Castro, to power.
Cuban authorities threaten to arrest LGBTQ activist, journalist | Michael K. Lavers | September 17, 2020 | Washington BladeAccording to Thurmond’s testimony, Ellis and Montgomery’s uncle, James Timothy Norman, met at a club where she danced and were previously intimate.
‘Sweetie Pie’s’ Murder-For-Hire Possibly Caused After $200K Stolen From Robbie Montgomery’s Home | Hope Wright | September 11, 2020 | Essence.comIt was her uncle, Alfredo, who sold me our place nearly 20 years ago.
The ruse was up when the family moved back to Nigeria, and Oyelowo saw that many of his uncles had the same marks.
Same with my uncle and cousins when their planes landed from Vietnam.
A Veteran’s View: NYC Cold War Between Cops and City Hall | Matt Gallagher | December 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe young Jordanian pilot comes from a well-known military family in the kingdom and his uncle is a retired major general.
Did ISIS Shoot Down a Fighter Jet? | Jamie Dettmer, Christopher Dickey | December 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIt reminds me of an uncle of mine who said the London Blitz was irritating.
The uncle told RTL radio Hauchard called his grandmother, ostensibly from Syria, on Nov. 2, for her birthday.
Showing the Faces of Its Murderers, ISIS Shows Its Global Reach | Tracy McNicoll | November 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTKim Jong Un, who assumed power on the death of his father, had given uncle Jang nearly free rein to handle relations with Beijing.
The strains of the syren at last woke her uncle, and brought back Miss Hood, who suggested that it was late.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James Wills“It means, my dear, that the Dragoons and the 60th will have to teach these impudent rebels a much-needed lesson,” said her uncle.
The Red Year | Louis TracyHe could not bear to open his dreadful situation to his uncle David, nor to kill himself, nor to defy the vengeance of Longcluse.
Checkmate | Joseph Sheridan Le FanuOut gets uncle David, looking brown and healthy after his northern excursion.
Checkmate | Joseph Sheridan Le Fanuuncle David nodded, and waved his hand, as on entering the door he gave them a farewell smile over his shoulder.
Checkmate | Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
British Dictionary definitions for uncle
/ (ˈʌŋkəl) /
a brother of one's father or mother
the husband of one's aunt
a term of address sometimes used by children for a male friend of their parents
slang a pawnbroker
Origin of uncle
1Other words from uncle
- Related adjective: avuncular
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with uncle
see cry uncle; Dutch uncle.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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