Aunt Definition & Meaning - Dictionary.com

The [a] /æ/ pronunciation of aunt was brought to America before British English developed the [ah] /ɑ/ in such words as aunt, dance, and laugh. In American ... TopDefinitionsQuizRelatedContentExamplesBritish📙MiddleSchoolLevelThisshowsgradelevelbasedontheword'scomplexity.aunt[ant,ahnt]SHOWIPA/ænt,ɑnt/PHONETICRESPELLINGNewWordListWordListSaveThisWord!SeesynonymsforauntonThesaurus.com📙MiddleSchoolLevelThisshowsgradelevelbasedontheword'scomplexity.nounthesisterofone'sfatherormother.thewifeofone'suncle.ChieflyNewEnglandandSouthMidlandU.S.(usedasatermofrespectfuladdresstoanolderwomanwhoisnotrelatedtothespeaker).Slang.anaginggayman.QUIZGOOSES.GEESES.IWANTTHISQUIZONPLURALNOUNS!Testhowmuchyoureallyknowaboutregularandirregularpluralnounswiththisquiz.Question1of9Whichofthefollowingnounshasanirregularpluralform?cactuswalletgoatpartyTAKETHEQUIZTOFINDOUTOriginofauntFirstrecordedin1250–1300;MiddleEnglishaunte,fromAnglo-French,equivalenttoOldFrenchante,fromLatinamita“father'ssister,”oldfemininepastparticipleofamāre“tolove,”i.e.,“beloved”howtopronounceauntTheusualvowelofauntintheUnitedStatesisthe[a]/æ/ofrantexceptinNewEnglandandeasternVirginia,whereitiscommonlythe“NewEnglandbroada,”avowelsimilartoFrench[a]/a/andhavingaqualitybetweenthe[a]/æ/ofhatandthe[ah]/ɑ/ofcar.Thevowel[ah]/ɑ/itselfisalsoused.InNewEnglandandeasternVirginia[ah]/ɑ/orthe[a]/a/-likesoundoccurinauntinthespeechofallsocialgroups,evenwherea“broada”isnotusedinwordslikedanceandlaugh.Elsewhere,the“broader”aischieflyaneducatedpronunciation,fosteredbytheschoolswithonlypartialsuccess(“Yourrelativeisn'taninsect,isshe?”),andissometimesregardedasanaffectation.AuntwiththevowelofpaintischieflySouthMidlandUnitedStatesandislimitedtofolkspeech.The[a]/æ/pronunciationofauntwasbroughttoAmericabeforeBritishEnglishdevelopedthe[ah]/ɑ/insuchwordsasaunt,dance,andlaugh.InAmericanEnglish,[ah]/ɑ/ismostcommonintheareasthatmaintainedtheclosestculturaltieswithEnglandafterthe[ah]/ɑ/pronunciationdevelopedthereinthesewords.OTHERWORDSFROMauntaunt·like,adjectiveWORDSTHATMAYBECONFUSEDWITHauntant,auntWordsnearbyauntAumShinrikyo,aunaturel,aune,AungSanSuuKyi,Aunis,aunt,auntie,auntie-ji,auntieman,aunties,AuntJemimaDictionary.comUnabridged BasedontheRandomHouseUnabridgedDictionary,©RandomHouse,Inc.2022Wordsrelatedtoauntcousin,father,folk,mother,niece,sibling,uncle,daughter,girl,wife,agnate,blood,brother-in-law,cognate,connection,father-in-law,grandparents,in-laws,kin,kinswomanHowtouseauntinasentenceCorea,whosenicknameevolvedfromanauntwhocalledhim“Cheeky,”begantostudythepianoatage4.ChickCorea,versatilepianistwhomadejazzeclecticandelectric,diesat79|MattSchudel|February11,2021|WashingtonPostMyauntisinsistingthatIwearatuxedo,which,tome,isaveryoddrequest.MissManners:Declininghelpfromtheunmasked|JudithMartin,NicholasMartin,JacobinaMartin|February8,2021|WashingtonPostWhenhewastalkingabouthisuncleGusinthebarbecue,hisauntBunnyfallingdownthesteps,hismomwiththeshoe.JoKoyonRepresentationandHowtheMilitary‘CreatedaRace’|JoshuaEferighe|February5,2021|OzyAsStVildidasachild,Gabrielleleavesherfamilybehindtolivewithheruncle,auntandcousins.Author’simmigrantstoryinspiresdebutnovelforkids|MaryQuattlebaum|February2,2021|WashingtonPostHeraunt,anurseinwesternNewYork,justhadherfirstappointmentcanceledwhenhercountyranoutofdoses.Foryoungergeneration,securingvaccineappointmentsforparentscanbe‘full-timejob’|TravisAndrews|February2,2021|WashingtonPostSure,yourcubiclemate,neighbor,andauntallownaFitbitorJawBonefitnesstracker.NothingSaysILoveYouLikeData|TheDailyBeast|December8,2014|DAILYBEASTMelchioristheforerunneroftheauntwhoalwaysgavemesocks.KeepChristmasCommercialized!|P.J.O’Rourke|December6,2014|DAILYBEASTAndthere,thesandcastlebuilderandtagplayerwholovedherauntmorethansciencewouldbeburied.11ChildrenShotinMilwaukee,OneinHerGrandpa'sLap|MichaelDaly|November12,2014|DAILYBEASTAnotherauntrecalledsomethingLaylahhadsaidtoherwhentheywenttrick-or-treatingonHalloweenjustafewdaysbefore.11ChildrenShotinMilwaukee,OneinHerGrandpa'sLap|MichaelDaly|November12,2014|DAILYBEASTWhenJuanawas8,herfatherabandonedthefamilyandthegirlmovedtoMexicoCitytolivewithheraunt.SorJuana:Mexico’sMostEroticPoetandItsMostDangerousNun|KatieBaker|November8,2014|DAILYBEASTYousee,I'dalwaysthoughtofhimastheboywhomGreat-auntLuciadescribedhavingseen.TheBoarded-UpHouse|AugustaHuiellSeamanIdon'tcare,itain'tnice,andIwonderauntbroughtustosuchaplace.TheBookofAnecdotesandBudgetofFun;|VariousThelandladyhadrelatedthetragichistoryofthedeadmotherandtheinvalidaunt.TheJoyousAdventuresofAristidePujol|WilliamJ.LockeOneoldauntinparticularvisitedhimtwiceayear,andstayedsixmonthseachtime.TheBookofAnecdotesandBudgetofFun;|VariousAuntRiwaslookingforwardtotherestwithgreatanticipation;shewasheartilytiredofbeingonthemove.Ramona|HelenHuntJacksonSEEMOREEXAMPLESSEEFEWEREXAMPLESBritishDictionarydefinitionsforauntaunt/(ɑːnt)/noun(oftencapital,espasatermofaddress)asisterofone'sfatherormotherthewifeofone'suncleatermofaddressusedbychildrenforanywoman,espforafriendoftheparentsmyaunt!ormysaintedaunt!anexclamationofsurpriseoramazementWordOriginforauntC13:fromOldFrenchante,fromLatinamitaafather'ssisterCollinsEnglishDictionary-Complete&Unabridged2012DigitalEdition ©WilliamCollinsSons&Co.Ltd.1979,1986©HarperCollins Publishers1998,2000,2003,2005,2006,2007,2009,2012WORDOFTHEDAYcygnetnoun|[sig-nit]SEEDEFINITIONFEEDBACK