uncle

noun
UK: /ˈʌŋ.kəl/
US: /ˈʌŋ.kəl/

  1. The brother of someone's father or mother.

    1. My uncle gave me a nice gift. [ ] [ ]
    2. Visiting my uncle and aunt is always a highlight of the summer holidays. [ ] [ ]

  2. The husband of someone's aunt.

    1. My uncle is married to my mother's sister. [ ] [ ]
    2. We always spend Christmas with my aunt and uncle at their house. [ ] [ ]

  3. A term of familiar address for an older male friend or relative.

    1. Hello, uncle, how are you today? [ ] [ ]
    2. The kids all call him uncle because he is like family to us. [ ] [ ]
uncle verb

  1. To pawn or leave (something) with a pawnbroker.

    1. He had to uncle his watch to get some cash. [ ] [ ]
    2. She was forced to uncle her jewelry to pay the rent that month. [ ] [ ]
uncle interjection

  1. To acknowledge defeat or surrender, especially in a game or contest. It's often used humorously.

    1. I uncle! You win this round. [ ] [ ]
    2. After playing chess all evening, he finally had to uncle and admit defeat. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "uncle" in English means: The brother of someone's father or mother., The husband of someone's aunt., A term of familiar address for an older male friend or relative..

The phonetic transcription of "uncle" is /ˈʌŋ.kəl/ in British English and /ˈʌŋ.kəl/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Example usage of "uncle": "My uncle gave me a nice gift.". More examples on the page.