uni

¹ American  

[yoo-nee] / ˈyu ni /

noun

Informal.

1. a uniformed police officer; uniform.

   A uni phoned in the burglary at 2:19 this morning.

2. British and Australian. university.

   Tony and Marc are both off to uni in two weeks.

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uni- ² American  

1. a combining form occurring in loanwords from Latin (universe ), used, with the meaning “one,” in the formation of compound words (unicycle ).

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uni- ¹ British  

combining form

1. consisting of, relating to, or having only one

   unilateral

   unisexual

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uni ² British  

/ ˈjuːnɪ /

noun

1. informal short for university

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Usage

What does uni- mean? Uni- is a combining form used like a prefix, meaning “one.”  Uni- appears in a wide variety of everyday and technical terms alike.Uni- comes from the Latin ūnus, meaning “one.” The Greek counterpart of uni- is mono-, as in monologue. Learn more at our Words That Use article on the form.

Etymology

Origin of uni¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; by shortening

Origin of uni-²

< Latin ūni- combining form of ūnus one; -i-

Example Sentences

We met for Japanese that night, and without trying, we fell right back into our rhythm over Santa Barbara uni and lamb chops cooked exactly the way we like them, crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, the kind of dish that cracks when your knife hits it and then gives way like warm silk.

From Los Angeles Times

"I was working on a laptop that was slow and it kept crashing. I'd been saving for a new PC but when I got the money, it meant I could finally get the thing I really needed to help with uni," she says.

From BBC

"You've got to put yourself outside your comfort zone, if there's uncomfortable themes... it's on you to discover those and discuss them in uni. That's the idea."

From BBC

On the menu is uni pasta, hanger steak au poivre and a dry-aged burger with fries, which restaurant critic Bill Addison says doesn’t require any twists because “it’s simply a fantastic burger.”

From Los Angeles Times

I especially enjoyed the sweet shrimp and Hokkaido uni served over cold somen noodles.

From Salon