aunt
(ɑːnt)
Forms: 3–6 aunte, 5 awnt, 5– aunt; 3–7 (mi, thi) naunt(e, 9 dial. noant.
[a. OF. aunte, ante, cogn. with Pr. amda, Lombard. amida:—L. amita. In Eng. a mistaken division of mine aunt, as my naunt, occurs in literature from 13th to 17th c., and still dialectally; cf. nuncle for uncle, and auger, apron, etc. (Some mod.F. dialects have also nante (ma nante = mon ante); the modern F. tante, found already in 13th c., perhaps originated, in the language of the nursery, from OF. t'ante ‘thy aunt.’)]
1. a. The sister of one's father or mother. Also, an uncle's wife, more strictly called an aunt-in-law.
| 1297 R. Glouc. 571 Sir Gui de Mountfort, that was..is aunte sone. a 1300 Cursor M. 24675 His moder was þi naunt. c 1460 Towneley Myst. 82 Elezabethe, myn awnt dere. 1473 Marg. Paston in Lett. 716 III. 78 Recomaunde me to..my naunte. a 1556 Cranmer Wks. II. 329 Aunt and aunt-in-law, niece and niece-in-law. 1598 Shakes. Merry W. iv. ii. 76 My Maids Aunt the fat woman of Brainford. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 7 ¶4 A Maiden Aunt..who is one of these antiquated Sybils. 1834 Gen. P. Thompson Exerc. (1842) III. 45 note, What might have happened afterwards, is only known to those who can tell what would have come to pass if your aunt had been your uncle. |
b. (in
U.S.) Used endearingly of: Any benevolent practical woman who exercises these qualities to the benefit of her circle of acquaintance;
cf. Sp. tia, and see
aunthood. Also used
dial. (see E.D.D.) as ‘a term of familiarity or respect applied to elderly women, not necessarily implying relationship’. Also
transf. Cf. auntie b.
Universal aunt is taken from the name of a bureau in London undertaking such services,
e.g. conducted tours, errands, as might be rendered by a maiden aunt.
Cf. aunthood.
| 1793 [see uncle n. 2 b]. 1861 Mrs. Stowe Pearl of Orr's Isl. 21 These universally useful persons receive among us the title of ‘aunt’ by a sort of general consent..They are nobody's aunts in particular, but aunts to human nature generally. 1921 Star 28 Feb. 4/5 (headline) Professional Aunts on Hire. 1921 Times 15 Oct. 13/5 This sort of universal aunthood to the whole neighbourhood... It has been left to our own day to adopt her [sc. Miss Mulock's] idea in the more direct and concrete form of ‘Universal Aunt’. 1928 H. Williamson Pathway xvii. 376 ‘I..thought I would look in, Aunt Connie.’ ‘Please don't call me Aunt Connie. I'm sorry to be so explicit.’ 1944 H. G. Wells '42 to '44 144 Jane Austen is one of my dearest aunts. 1959 Observer 11 Jan. 15/1 There is an element of knight-errantry in the investigations with which Shopper's Guide and Which? continue to plough their way through the labyrinth of consumers' goods... We, the public, are at last being championed by a battalion of scientific aunts. 1962 ‘J. Le Carré’ Murder of Quality ii. 21 She..became..their guide, friend and universal aunt. |
† c. Formerly used by alumni of Oxford and Cambridge as a title for the ‘sister university.’
| 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. ii. I. 308 The Sons of our Aunt are loth to consent, that one who was taught in Cambridge, should teach in Oxford. 1701 Pepys Corr. 403 An humble present of mine, though a Cambridge man, to my dear Aunt, the University of Oxford. |
d. U.S. (See
quots.)
| 1835 Longstreet Georgia Scenes 110 ‘There they are, Aunt Glory.’ Footnote: ‘Aunt’ and ‘Mauma’..are terms of respect commonly used by children to aged negroes. 1869 Atlantic Monthly Oct. 479/2 A pleasant, industrious ‘Aunt Sally’, a mulatto. 1904 Harben Georgians 106 A negro woman, Aunt Amanda,..passed in and out. |
† 2. An old woman; a gossip.
Obs.| 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. ii. i. 51 The wisest Aunt telling the saddest tale. |
† 3. A bawd or procuress; a prostitute.
Obs.| 1607 Middleton Michaelm. Term. iii. i, Wks. X. 470 She demanded of me whether I was your worships aunt or no. Out, out, out! 1663 Parson's Wedd. iii. i, in Hazl. Dodsl. XIV. 448 Yes, and follow her, like one of my aunts of the suburbs. 1678 Dryden Kind Kpr. i. i, The easiest Fool I ever knew, next my Naunt of Fairies in the Alchymist. |
4. Aunt Sally.
a. A game much in vogue at fairs and races, in which the figure of a woman's head with a pipe in its mouth is set up, and the player, throwing sticks from a certain distance, aims at breaking the pipe.
| 1861 Times (Derby Day), Aunt Sally..this fashionable and athletic sport..is rather overdone than otherwise. 1884 Pall Mall G. 15 Aug. 4/1 Aunt Sallies and skittles for those who prefer such attractions. |
b. A nickname for a wicket-keeper in cricket.
colloq.| 1898 G. Giffen With Bat & Ball 239 Practice may improve an ‘Aunt Sally’..but unless he has natural genius..a lad is not likely to become a star wicket-keeper. 1927 Observer 29 May 28/1 A ‘keeper’..who combines batsmanship with all the ‘Aunt Sally's’ excellencies. |
c. fig. An object of unreasonable or prejudiced attack.
| 1898 G. B. Shaw in Sat. Rev. 30 Apr. 592/2 This comes of an author making no serious attempt to get to the point of view of the character he professes to have dramatised—of simply conspiring with the stupid section of the pit to make an Aunt Sally of it. 1958 Oxf. Mag. 1 May 398/2 Palpable gross hits at a favourite Aunt Sally, modern psychology. |
5. my (sainted) aunt! and similar phrases, as trivial exclamations.
| 1888 Boy's Own Paper Summer No. 35/2 ‘My aunt!’ exclaimed Guy, with a start. 1888 Kipling Story of Gadsbys (1889) 66 Prince Kraft a stable-boy—Oh, my Aunt! 1919 J. Buchan Mr. Standfast viii. 168 My holy aunt! The General disguised as Charlie Chaplin! 1921 Wodehouse Jill Reckless 301 ‘My sainted aunt!’ he said slowly. 1928 A. Huxley Point Counter Point x. 163 Rampion..turned up his eyes. ‘Oh, my sacred aunt!’ he said. |
6. Special collocations:
Aunt Edna, used of a typical theatre-goer of conservative taste;
Aunt Emma, used in croquet of a typically unenterprising player (or play);
Aunt Fanny, in various slang phrases expressing negation or disbelief.
| 1953 T. Rattigan Coll. Plays II. p. xii, Let us invent a character, a nice, respectable, middle-class, middle-aged, maiden lady, with time on her hands and the money to help her pass it... Let us call her Aunt Edna... Now Aunt Edna does not appreciate Kafka... She is, in short, a hopeless lowbrow. 1958 N. F. Simpson Resounding Tinkle in Observer Plays 241 The author..leans forward..to make simultaneous overtures of sumptuous impropriety to every Aunt Edna in the house. |
| 1960 E. P. C. Cotter Tackle Croquet this Way 66 Whatever happens don't become an Aunt Emma player. 1963 Croquet Aug. 3/1 Aunt Emma is banished for ever. 1967 Ibid. Aug./Sept. 13/2 He played too much ‘Aunt Emma’. |
| 1945 M. Dickens Thurs. Afternoons i. 69 She's got no more idea how to run this house than my Aunt Fanny. 1946 J. Irving Royal Navalese 24 Tell that to my old Aunt Fanny. 1954 ‘G. Carr’ Death under Snowdon v. 54 ‘Agree my Aunt Fanny,’ retorted the other loudly. |