Definition of AUNT

aunt

Meanings

Plural: aunts

Noun

  • the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
  • The sister or sister-in-law of one’s parent.
  • The female cousin or cousin-in-law of one’s parent.
  • A woman of an older generation than oneself, especially a friend of one's parents, by means of fictive kin.
  • Any elderly woman.
  • A procuress or bawd.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English aunte, from Anglo-Norman aunte, from Old French ante, from Latin amita (“father's sister”). Displaced native Middle English modrie (“aunt”) (from Old English mōdriġe (“maternal aunt”); compare Old English faþu, faþe (“paternal aunt”)). The digraph ⟨au⟩ representing /æ ~ ɑː/ instead of the expected /ɔː/ is irregular, and has not been conclusively explained (compare launch, which contains /ɑː/ in some UK dialects).

Synonyms

auntie, aunty, auntyji, naunt

Antonyms

nephew, niece, uncle

Scrabble Score: 4

aunt is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
aunt is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
aunt is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 6

aunt is a valid Words With Friends word