Uncle Sam
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Uncle Sam
- /ˌʌŋkl̩ ˈsæm/ UK
- /ˌʌŋkəl ˈsæm/ US
- /ˌəŋ-/ US
Rhymes with -æm
Where it comes from
From 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.
proper noun
- A personification of the United States federal government or (rare) citizens. Uncle Sam needs brave men and women to enlist in the Army.
Translations
Every language
name personification of the United States federal government or citizens
| Español | Tío Sam |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 엉클 샘 Eongkeul Saem |
| 日本語 | アンクル・サム Ankuru-Samu |
| 中文 | 山姆大叔 Shānmǔ dàshū |
| Português | Tio Sam |
| Français | Oncle Sam |
| Deutsch | Uncle Sam |
| Italiano | Zio Sam |
| Ελληνικά | μπάρμπα-Σαμ bármpa-Sam, Θείος Σαμ Theíos Sam |
| Русский | дя́дя Сэм djádja Sɛm |
| Tiếng Việt | Chú Sam |
| العربية | اَلْعَمّ سَام al-ʕamm sām |
Talk about this word "Uncle Sam." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/uncle%20sam. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. Uncle Sam. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/uncle%20sam "Uncle Sam." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/uncle%20sam.Cite this
@misc{uncle_sam_2026,
title = {Uncle Sam},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/uncle%20sam},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
