Meanings
uncle1
noununcle (plural uncles)
plural uncles
- The brother or brother-in-law of one’s parent.
And it was while all were passionately intent upon the pleasing and snake-like progress of their uncle that a young girl in furs, ascending the stairs two at a time, peeped perfunctorily into the nursery as she passed the hallway—and halted amazed.
1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter I, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 14 - The male cousin of one’s parent.
- endearingUsed as a fictive kinship title for a close male friend of one's parent or parents.
- euphemisticUsed as a title for the male companion to one's (usually unmarried) parent.
- figurativelyA source of advice, encouragement, or help.
- UKdatedinformalA pawnbroker.
1 more example
December 1843, William Makepeace Thackeray, "Grant in Paris" (review), in Fraser's Magazine A chain hangs out of the pocket of his velvet waistcoat , by which we may conclude that he has a watch , though we have known many gents whose watches were at their uncle's (as the fashionable term for the pawnbroker goes)
- especiallyparts of UK and South AsiaAn affectionate term for a man of an older generation than oneself, especially a friend of one's parents, by means of fictive kin.
Synonyms: uncleji
- Southern USarchaicslangAn older African-American male.
Plain old uncle as he [Socrates] was, with his great ears, — an immense talker.
1850, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Representative Men - BruneiMalaysiaMyanmarSingaporeinformalAny middle-aged or elderly man older than the speaker and/or listener.
interjection
- UScolloquialA cry used to indicate surrender.
verbuncle (third-person singular simple present uncles, present participle uncling, simple past and past participle uncled)
present singular third person uncles · participle present uncling · participle past uncled · past uncled
- colloquialtransitiveTo address somebody by the term uncle.
- colloquialintransitiveTo act like, or as, an uncle.
Betelgeuse Five, where he both fathered and uncled Ford
1979, Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Uncle2
noun
- World War II era; joint US/RAF; World War II era; joint US/RAFradiotelephony clear-code word for the letter U.
Synonyms: Uniform
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn affectionate term for a man of an older generation than oneself, especially a friend of one's parents, by means of fictive kin.
Similar
nounradiotelephony clear-code word for the letter U.
Similar
antonym(s) of “with regard to gender”
Opposite
antonym(s) of “African-American”
Opposite
antonym(s) of “India”
Opposite
Narrower
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂éwh₂os
- Latinavunculus
- Old Frenchuncle
- Middle Englishuncle
- Englishuncle
From Middle English uncle, borrowed from Anglo-Norman uncle and Old French oncle, from Vulgar Latin *aunclum, from Latin avunculus (“maternal uncle”, literally “little grandfather”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂euh₂-n-tlo- (“little grandfather”), a dialectal diminutive of *h₂éwh₂ō (“grandfather, adult male relative other than one’s father”) (whence also Latin avus (“grandfather”)). Displaced native Middle English em (“uncle”) from Old English ēam (“maternal uncle”), containing the same Proto-Indo-European root, and Old English fædera (“paternal uncle”). Compare Saterland Frisian Unkel (“uncle”), Dutch nonkel (“uncle”), German Low German Unkel (“uncle”), German Onkel (“uncle”), Danish onkel (“uncle”). More at eam and eame.
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek θεῖος, πάτρως
- θεῖος (theîos)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- πάτρως (pátrōs)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- μήτρως (mḗtrōs)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Arabic عَمّ, خَال
- عَمّ (ʕamm)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- خَال (ḵāl)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- زَوْجُ العَمّة (zawju l-ʕamma)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- زَوْجُ الخالة (zawju l-ḵāla)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Basque osaba
- osababrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Bengali মামা, চাচা
- মামাbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- চাচা (caca)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- ফুফা (phupha)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- খালু (khalu)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Bulgarian чи́чо, стри́ко
- чи́чо (číčo)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- стри́ко (stríko)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- ву́йчо (vújčo)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- калеко (kaleko)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- свако (svako)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Catalan oncle, tio
- onclebrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- tiobrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- tietbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- tioclose male friend of the parents
Chinese Cantonese 伯伯, 叔叔
- 伯伯 (baak³ baak³)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 叔叔 (suk¹ suk¹)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 姑丈brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 舅父brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 姨丈brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 叔叔 (suk¹ suk¹)form of address to a man by young people or children in some countries
Chinese Mandarin 伯父, 伯伯
- 伯父 (bófù)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 伯伯 (bóbo)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 叔父 (shúfù)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 叔叔 (shúshu)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 姑父 (gūfù)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 姑丈 (gūzhàng)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 舅父 (jiùfù)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 舅舅 (jiùjiu)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 姨父 (yífù)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 姨丈 (yízhàng)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 姨夫 (yífū)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 叔叔 (shūshu)form of address to a man by young people or children in some countries
Czech strýc, strýček
- strýcbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- strýčekclose male friend of the parents
- strýčeksource of advice, encouragement, or help
Danish onkel, farbror
- onkelbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- farbrorbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- morbrorbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- onkelUK informal: pawnbroker — see also pawnbroker
Dutch oom, nonkel
- oombrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- nonkelbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- oompjesource of advice, encouragement, or help
- suikeroomsource of advice, encouragement, or help
- pandjesbaasUK informal: pawnbroker — see also pawnbroker
Esperanto onklo
- onklobrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Estonian onu
- onubrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Finnish setä, setäpuoli
- setäbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- setäpuolibrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- enobrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- enopuolibrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- setäclose male friend of the parents
- kummisetäsource of advice, encouragement, or help
- setäform of address to a man by young people or children in some countries
French oncle, tonton
- onclebrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- tontonbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
German Onkel
- Onkelbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Greek θείος, θείος
- θείος (theíos)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- θείος (theíos)form of address to a man by young people or children in some countries
Hawaiian makua kāne, ʻanakala
- makua kānebrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- ʻanakalabrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- ʻanakalaform of address to a man by young people or children in some countries
Hebrew דּוֹד
- דּוֹד (dod)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Hindi चाचा, ताऊ
- चाचा (cācā)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- ताऊ (tāū)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- मामा (māmā)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- काका (kākā)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- अंकल (aṅkal)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- अंकल (aṅkal)close male friend of the parents
- अंकल (aṅkal)form of address to a man by young people or children in some countries
Hungarian nagybácsi, bácsi
- nagybácsibrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- bácsiclose male friend of the parents
- bácsiform of address to a man by young people or children in some countries
Icelandic frændi
- frændibrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Indonesian paman, om
- pamanbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- ombrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- omclose male friend of the parents
- omform of address to a man by young people or children in some countries
Irish uncail
- uncailbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Italian zio
- ziobrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Japanese 伯父, 伯父貴
- 伯父 (oji)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 伯父貴 (ojiki)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 叔父brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 叔父貴 (ojiki)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- おじさん (oji-san)form of address to a man by young people or children in some countries
Korean 아저씨, 삼촌
- 아저씨 (ajeossi)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 삼촌 (samchon)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- 아저씨 (ajeossi)form of address to a man by young people or children in some countries
Latin patruus, avunculus
- patruusbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- avunculusbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- thiusbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- barbasbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Latvian tēvocis, tēva brālis
- tēvocisbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- tēva brālisbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- mātes brālisbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Lithuanian dėdė
- dėdėbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Malay pakcik, bapa saudara
- pakcikbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- bapa saudarabrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- mamandabrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Māori matua kēkē
- matua kēkēbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Norwegian Bokmål onkel, farbror
- onkelbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- farbrorbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- morbrorbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- filleonkelclose male friend of the parents
- onkelUK informal: pawnbroker — see also pawnbroker
- pantelånerUK informal: pawnbroker — see also pawnbroker
- farbrorform of address to a man by young people or children in some countries
Polish stryj, stryjek
- stryjbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- stryjekbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- wujbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- wujekbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Portuguese tio, tio
- tiobrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- tioclose male friend of the parents
- tiosource of advice, encouragement, or help
- tioform of address to a man by young people or children in some countries
Romanian unchi
- unchibrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Russian дя́дя, дя́дька
- дя́дя (djádja)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- дя́дька (djádʹka)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- дя́дюшка (djádjuška)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- дя́дя (djádja)source of advice, encouragement, or help
- ростовщи́к (rostovščík)UK informal: pawnbroker — see also pawnbroker
- дя́дя (djádja)form of address to a man by young people or children in some countries
Scottish Gaelic bràthair-athar, bràthair-màthar
- bràthair-atharbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- bràthair-màtharbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- uncailbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Slovak strýko, strýko
- strýkobrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- strýkoclose male friend of the parents
- ujoclose male friend of the parents
- ujoform of address to a man by young people or children in some countries
Spanish tío
- tíobrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Swedish onkel, farbror
- onkelbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- farbrorbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- fars svågerbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- ingift farbrorbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- morbrorbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- mors svågerbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- ingift morbrorbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Tagalog tito, tiyo
- titobrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- tiyobrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- tiyuhinbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Tamil மாமா, பெரியப்பா
- மாமா (māmā)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- பெரியப்பா (periyappā)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- சித்தப்பா (cittappā)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Thai ลุง, อา
- ลุงbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- อา (aa)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- น้า (náa)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- ลุง (lung)close male friend of the parents
- อา (aa)close male friend of the parents
- น้า (náa)close male friend of the parents
- ลุง (lung)form of address to a man by young people or children in some countries
- ปู่ (bpùu)form of address to a man by young people or children in some countries
- ตา (dtaa)form of address to a man by young people or children in some countries
Turkish amca, dayı
- amcabrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- dayıbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- eniştebrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Ukrainian дя́дько, дя́дько
- дя́дько (djádʹko)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- дя́дько (djádʹko)form of address to a man by young people or children in some countries
Urdu چَچا, تایا
- چَچا (cacā)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- تایا (tāyā)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- کاکا (kākā)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- ماما (māmā)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Vietnamese bác, chú
- bácbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- chúbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
- cậubrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Welsh ewythr
- ewythrbrother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Yiddish פֿעטער
- פֿעטער (feter)brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with uncle
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
uncle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/uncle
MLA
“uncle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/uncle. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “uncle,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/uncle.
Source: uncle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.