Uncle Sam
English
editEtymology
editFrom uncle + Sam (diminutive of the male name Samuel), probably based on the initialism U.S. of the United States. While folk etymology suggests that the term was named after Samuel Wilson (1766–1854), a meat packer from Troy, New York, who supplied the United States Army with canned meat during the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom, the Oxford English Dictionary notes there is no evidence that this is the case.[1]
Pronunciation
edit- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌʌŋkl̩ ˈsæm/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˌʌŋkəl ˈsæm/, /ˌəŋ-/
Audio (US): (file) - Hyphenation: Un‧cle Sam
- Rhymes: -æm
Proper noun
edit- (colloquial, originally US) A personification of the United States federal government or (rare) citizens. [from early 19th c.]
- Uncle Sam needs brave men and women to enlist in the Army.
Derived terms
editTranslations
editpersonification of the United States federal government or citizens
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See also
editReferences
edit- ^ “Uncle Sam, n.”, in OED Online , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, September 2019; “Uncle Sam, proper n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
Further reading
editAnagrams
editCategories:
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- Rhymes:English/æm
- Rhymes:English/æm/3 syllables
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- English proper nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English multiword terms
- English colloquialisms
- American English
- English terms with rare senses
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- en:Personifications
- en:United States
- en:Male people