Uncle Sam
noun /ˌʌŋkl ˈsæm/
/ˌʌŋkl ˈsæm/
(informal)- a way of referring to the United States of America or the US government (sometimes shown as a tall man with a white beard and a tall hat)
- He owed $20 000 in tax to Uncle Sam.
CultureUncle Sam wears red, white and blue clothes and has stars on his tall hat. He was probably named after 'Uncle' Sam Wilson (1766-1854), who examined army supplies for the US government during the War of 1812. During both world wars, a picture of Uncle Sam appeared on posters telling young men that they should join the armed forces.More Like This Expressions with people’s namesExpressions with people’s names- Aunt Sally
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Word Originearly 19th cent.: said (from the time of the first recorded instances) to have arisen as an expansion of the letters US.