| Definitions | uncle
noun
- A brother or brother-in-law of someone"s parent.
- (context, figuratively) A source of advice, encouragement, or help.
- (context, UK, informal) A pawnbroker.
- (context, Southern US, colloquial) A close male friend of the parents of a family.
Translations: - Dutch: pandjesbaas(nl)m
- French: ma tante(fr)
- German: Onkel(de)m
- Italian: zio materno(it, zio, m, {{t-, it)m
- Spanish: tío materno(es, tío, m}}, t-, es)m
Etymology: Via and oncle, from avunculus "mother"s brother" but literally "little grandfather", the diminutive of avus "grandfather," from the Proto-Indo-Euroean root awo- "grandfather, adult male relative other than one's father":this word replaced O.E. eam (usually maternal; paternal uncle was fídera), which represents the Germanic form of the same root
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