U

The twenty-first letter and the fifth vowel in the English alphabet. Its true primary sound, in Anglo-Saxon, was the sound which it still retains in most of the languages of Europe- that of oo in cool, tool, answering to the French ou in tour. This sound was changed to that heard in the words use, tube, &c., probably under the Norman kings, by the attempt made to introduce the Norrman-French language into common use. Besides these two sounds, u has also two oher sounds, as exemplified in the words but, bull. — Webster, 1882

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udder “Uncle Ned” “Uncle John” Uncle Sam “Uncle Sam’s Farm” United States of America

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The following is an incomplete list of the remaining indexed main headings. Once a completed entry has been uploaded, it will be removed from the list below and added to the links above. Subheadings, reference locators, and cross-referenced subentries are not included in this list. Always consult the completed entry for referenced source of definition used below.

uncinch – To loosen, as a saddle or belt, &c.

uncle – The brother of one’s father or mother.

underbrush – Shrubs, small trees, or bushes growing beneath larger trees in a forest.

“Under the Daisies” – 1860s song by Hattie Tyng Griswold.

underwaist – Foundation garment worn under other clothing.

union suit – A single undergarment combining shirtwaist and under pants.

upland – High land; ground elevated above the meadows and intervals which lie on the banks of rivers, near the sea, or between hills; land which is generally dry;– opposed to meadow, marsh, swamp, interval, and the like.