Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An uncle.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Uncle.
  • To cheat; deceive.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun archaic or dialectal uncle

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From the phrases an uncle, mine uncle.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From rebracketing of phrases an uncle, mine uncle. Compare naunt.

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Examples

  • I had rather be any kind o' thing than a fool: and yet I would not be thee, nuncle; thou hast pared thy wit o' both sides, and left nothing i' the middle: here comes one o'

    Archive 2009-02-01 enowning 2009

  • I had rather be any kind o' thing than a fool: and yet I would not be thee, nuncle; thou hast pared thy wit o' both sides, and left nothing i' the middle: here comes one o'

    enowning enowning 2009

  • Eunuch and saying to him, “This is the reward of goodness, O nuncle Tulip,” went in to Al – Rashid and said to him,

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • Then she said to him, O nuncle, I am a maiden of the Arabs and a stranger and I have a sick brother; but I will go with thee to thy daughter on one condition, which is, that I may spend only the day with her and at night may return to my brother.

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • So I drew near to him and saluted him, and he returned my salam by signs, but spoke not; and I said to him, “O nuncle mine, what causeth thee to sit here?”

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • Upon this a little boy, one of those present, came forward and said, “Show it to me, nuncle mine!”

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • Quoth Ajib, Even so, O nuncle mine; my heart burns for the loss of a beloved one who is non other than my father; and indeed I come forth, I and my grandfather, 459 to circle and search the world for him.

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • Wherefore he knew that nuncle Mardas was their prisoner, and said, “By the life of Mahdiyah, I will not depart hence till I have delivered her father, that she may not be troubled!”

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • 'Why, I never frightened him; never put him beside his poor wits, like t'other poor nuncle.

    Camilla 2008

  • Anon Hasan chanced to glance aside and seeing from afar a something lofty said to the Magian, “What is that, O nuncle?”

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

Comments

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  • Cf. cousin.

    October 21, 2010