Merriam-Webster on Babylon-Pro: Get instant results from Merriam-Webster in any desktop application in a single click!
Upward Mobility--Make your move!: Classic Merriam-Webster content is now available on classic mobile platforms.

The Word of the Day for October 05, 2009 is:

avuncular • \uh-VUNK-yuh-ler\

• adjective

1 : of or relating to an uncle

*2 : suggestive of an uncle especially in kindliness or geniality

Example Sentence:

The avuncular orthodontist joked with his young patient, attempting to set her mind at ease about getting fitted for braces.

Did you know?

Not all uncles are likeable fellows (Hamlet's murderous Uncle Claudius, for example, isn't exactly Mr. Nice Guy in Shakespeare's tragedy), but "avuncular" reveals that, as a group, uncles are generally seen as affable and benevolent, if at times a bit patronizing. "Avuncular" derives from the Latin noun "avunculus," which translates as "maternal uncle," but since at least the 1830s English speakers have used "avuncular" to refer to uncles from either side of the family or even to individuals who are simply uncle-like in character or behavior. And in case you were wondering, "avunculus" is also an ancestor of the word "uncle" itself.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.