Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

ăvuncŭlus (AVOMCVLVS and AVONCLVS, Fabr. Gloss. p. 227, a), i, m. dim. [avus; cf. Lith. avynas, uncle], a mother’s brother, maternal uncle (a brother of the father, patruus).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen., Cic. de Or. 2, 84, 341; Verg. A. 3, 343; Plin. 5, 8, 6, § 20; Vulg. Gen. 28, 2; 29, 10: uxor patrui vel avunculi, ib. Lev. 20, 10; Isid. Orig. 9, 6, 17; cf. Dig. 38, 10, 10 P.
      Hence,
    2. B. Esp.
      1. 1. Avunculus magnus, a grandmother’s brother (aviae frater), great-uncle, Cic. Brut. 62, 222; Dig. 38, 10, 1; 38, 10, 10; Isid. Orig. 9, 16, 26.
      2. 2. Avunculus major, a brother of the great-grandmother, greatgreat-uncle (proaviae frater), Dig. l. l. (in Isid. Orig. l. l., proavunculus).
      3. 3. Avunculus maximus, a brother of the great-greatgrandmother (abaviae frater), Dig. l. l. (in Isid. Orig. l. l., abavunculus).
        In the histt. sometimes avunculus major = avunculus magnus, brother of the grandmother, Vell. 2, 59; Suet. Aug. 7; id. Claud. 3; and avunculus absol. = avunculus major, Tac. A. 2, 43; 2, 53; 4, 75.
  2. II. Transf., the husband of the mother’s sister, Sen. Cons. ad Helv. 17.