Aunt


the sister of one’s father or mother.
the wife of one’s uncle.
Chiefly New England and South Midland U.S. (used as a term of respectful address to an older woman who is not related to the speaker).
Slang. an aging male homosexual.
Contemporary Examples

“It was incredibly moving seeing Natasha with her mother and aunt on set,” he says.
Writers and Actors Recall Her Life Isabel Wilkinson March 18, 2009

When Juana was 8, her father abandoned the family and the girl moved to Mexico City to live with her aunt.
Sor Juana: Mexico’s Most Erotic Poet and Its Most Dangerous Nun Katie Baker November 7, 2014

Out back my aunt pinned up the wet clothes while we hid in the sheets.
‘Tracing the Blue Light’: Read Chapter 1 of Eileen Cronin’s ‘Mermaid’ Eileen Cronin April 7, 2014

My aunt Sadie, God bless her, gave us some kind of a stipend that kept us alive.
Mel Brooks Is Always Funny and Often Wise in This 1975 Playboy Interview Alex Belth February 15, 2014

His brother, Benito, and aunt, Josefa Angulo Flores, died despite the efforts of paramedics to save them.
For Mexico’s Marines, An Epic Cartel Bust With Another Tragedy in Mind Michael Daly February 28, 2014

Historical Examples

Your aunt must have dainties to tempt her appetite and so keep up her strength.
The Eternal City Hall Caine

I shall be staying with aunt Cornelia a few days after to-morrow.
The Spenders Harry Leon Wilson

Well, you see, it’s nicer here by the river, and it’s cheaper too; and—how’s aunt Kate?
Audrey Craven May Sinclair

“He certainly was not what is called a domestic character,” said aunt Jane.
Malbone Thomas Wentworth Higginson

I’ve written Mother to persuade your aunt, and she has promised to try.
Phyllis Dorothy Whitehill

noun (often capital, esp as a term of address)
a sister of one’s father or mother
the wife of one’s uncle
a term of address used by children for any woman, esp for a friend of the parents
my aunt!, my sainted aunt!, an exclamation of surprise or amazement
n.

c.1300, from Anglo-French aunte, Old French ante (Modern French tante, from a 13c. variant), from Latin amita “paternal aunt” diminutive of *amma a baby-talk word for “mother” (cf. Greek amma “mother,” Old Norse amma “grandmother,” Middle Irish ammait “old hag,” Hebrew em, Arabic umm “mother”).

Extended senses include “an old woman, a gossip” (1580s); “a procuress” (1670s); and “any benevolent woman,” in American English, where auntie was recorded since c.1790 as “a term often used in accosting elderly women.” The French word also has become the word for “aunt” in Dutch, German (Tante), and Danish. Swedish has retained the original Germanic (and Indo-European) custom of distinguishing aunts by separate terms derived from “father’s sister” (faster) and “mother’s sister” (moster). The Old English equivalents were faðu and modrige. In Latin, too, the formal word for “aunt on mother’s side” was matertera. Some languages have a separate term for aunts-in-law as opposed to blood relations.

noun

The madame of a brothel
An elderly male homosexual

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