U

¹

or u

[ yoo ]

noun

, plural U's or Us, u's or us.

1. the 21st letter of the English alphabet, a vowel.
2. any spoken sound represented by the letter U or u, as in music, rule, curious, put, or jug.
3. something having the shape of a U .
4. a written or printed representation of the letter U or u.
5. a device, as a printer's type, for reproducing the letter U or u.

u.

²

abbreviation for

1. and.

U.

³

abbreviation for

1. and.

U

⁴

[ yoo ]

pronoun

, Informal.

1. you:

   Shoes Fixed While U Wait.

u.

⁵

abbreviation for

1. uniform.
2. unit.
3. unsatisfactory.
4. upper.

U.

⁶

abbreviation for

1. uncle.
2. uniform.
3. union.
4. unit.
5. united.
6. university.
7. unsatisfactory.
8. upper.

U

⁷

[ yoo ]

adjective

, Informal.

1. characteristic of or appropriate to the upper class, especially of Great Britain.

U

⁸

[ oo ]

noun

1. a Burmese title of respect applicable to a man: used before the proper name.

U

⁹

Symbol.

1. (on a packaged product) certified as kosher by the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations.
2. the 21st in order or in a series.
3. Chemistry. uranium.
4. Biochemistry. uracil.
5. Thermodynamics. internal energy.
6. British. a designation for motion pictures determined as being acceptable for viewing by all age groups. Compare A ³( def 10 ), AA ²( def 5 ), X ³( def 9 ).

u

¹

/ juː /

noun

1. the 21st letter and fifth vowel of the modern English alphabet
2. any of several speech sounds represented by this letter, in English as in mute, cut, hurt, sure, pull, or minus
3. 1. something shaped like a U
   2. ( in combination )

      a U-bolt

      a U-turn

U

²

/ uː /

noun

1. a Burmese title of respect for men, equivalent to Mr

U

³

symbol for

1. united
2. unionist
3. university
4. in Britain
   1. universal (used to describe a category of film certified as suitable for viewing by anyone)
   2. ( as modifier )

      a U film

5. chem uranium
6. biochem uracil

abbreviation for

1. text messaging you

adjective

1. old-fashioned.
   (esp of language habits) characteristic of or appropriate to the upper class Compare non-U

U.

⁴

abbreviation for

1. maths union
2. unit
3. united
4. university
5. upper

Word History and Origins

Origin of U¹

From the German word und

Origin of U²

From the German word und

Origin of U³

First recorded in 1840–45

Origin of U⁴

First recorded in 1950–55; u(pper class)

Origin of U⁵

First recorded in 1930–35; from Burmese ʔú, roughly “Mister, Uncle,” used for senior men and monks

Example Sentences

This research was funded by the Hazardous Waste Research Fund, which is administered by the ISTC, a part of the Prairie Research Institute at the U. of I.

From Science Daily

Ukraine, pummeled nightly by deadly Russian missile attacks on its cities, has pleaded for months for permission to use U.S.-provided longer-range weaponry to hit airfields and missile installations well inside Russia.

From Los Angeles Times

“I’m kind of a scavenger,” U.K.-based designer Ellen Poppy Hill says of her approach to secondhand fabric sourcing.

From Los Angeles Times

“The substantial number of U.S.-trained professors in China has allowed Chinese grad students to stay home and still benefit from U.S. academic pedagogy and research networks,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

“Call U Up,” a funny and brash single off his LP “Timeless,” was just saucy enough to turn heads all over the grounds.

From Los Angeles Times