n. Idiom: 1. a. The brother of one's mother or father. b. The husband of a sibling of one's mother or father. 2. Used as a form of address for an older man, especially by children. 3. A kindly counselor. 4. Slang A pawnbroker. 5. Uncle Uncle Sam. cry/say uncle Informal To indicate a willingness to give up a fight or surrender: tickled my brother until he cried uncle. [Middle English, from Anglo-Norman, from Latin avunculus, maternal uncle; see awo- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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