Uncle Sam

noun

1. a personification of the government or people of the U.S.: represented as a tall, lean man with white chin whiskers, wearing a blue tailcoat, red-and-white-striped trousers, and a top hat with a band of stars.

Uncle Sam

noun

1. a personification of the government of the United States

Uncle Sam

1. A figure who stands for the government of the United States and for the United States itself. Uncle Sam — whose initials are the abbreviation of United States — is portrayed as an old man with a gray goatee who sports a top hat and Stars and Stripes clothing. During World War I and World War II , posters of Uncle Sam exhorted young men to join the armed forces. ( Compare John Bull .)

Word History and Origins

Origin of Uncle Sam¹

An Americanism dating back to 1805–15; extension of the initials U.S.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Uncle Sam¹

C19: apparently a humorous interpretation of the letters stamped on army supply boxes during the War of 1812: US

Example Sentences

But several of the images were AI-generated, including those showing Swift dressed as Uncle Sam with the caption, “Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.”

From Los Angeles Times

Another showed Swift dressed up as Uncle Sam, with the headline: “Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.”

From Los Angeles Times

The patriotic image shows megastar Taylor Swift dressed up like Uncle Sam, falsely suggesting she endorses Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

From Los Angeles Times

Another re-posted photo mimicked a World War One US army recruiting poster, which replaced Uncle Sam's face with Swift's and read: "Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump".

From BBC

Wearing aviator sunglasses and a ball cap, he toured the wreckage in Havilah, walking up to the remnants of the town museum and pulling a novelty Uncle Sam coin bank from the blackened rubble.

From Los Angeles Times