叔
father's younger brother; uncle; brother-in-law; third in seniority; surname
Meanings
5 senses · 25 examplesnoun
father's younger brother; paternal uncle
Standard formal term for father's younger brother.
My second paternal uncle is a doctor.
My second uncle will come over for dinner this weekend.
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My uncle gave me a comic book as a gift.
He is the third younger brother of my father, so he is my youngest paternal uncle.
I will pay a New Year visit to my uncle during the Spring Festival.
noun
uncle; polite address for younger man
informalInformal polite address for adult men younger than one's father, often used by children or young people.
Uncle Li helped me fix my bicycle.
That maternal cousin uncle is my mother's younger cousin.
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All the kids call this security guard Uncle.
Uncle Zhang runs a small restaurant.
You can address a strange adult man as Uncle when asking for directions.
noun
younger brother of husband; brother-in-law
Refers specifically to the younger brother of one's spouse.
My husband's younger brother is two years younger than him.
My brother-in-law and I cleaned the yard together.
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There should be appropriate boundaries between a brother-in-law and his sister-in-law.
My husband's younger brother just started college.
She often helps her brother-in-law review his schoolwork.
adjective
third in seniority among brothers
formal, archaicAn archaic formal term used in traditional Chinese naming and seniority systems.
The traditional order of seniority among brothers is Bo, Zhong, Shu, Ji.
His courtesy name includes the character Shu because he was the third-born son.
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Bo, Shu, Ji are traditional terms for brother seniority.
This scholar's pseudonym is Shuming, which shows he was the third-born son.
In classical texts, Shu is often used to refer to the third son.
proper noun
surname Shu
A relatively rare Chinese surname.
Mr. Shu is a senior archaeologist.
The surname Shu originated from the Ji clan during ancient times.
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I know a friend whose surname is Shu.
The population with the surname Shu is relatively small in mainland China.
Shu Tong is a famous modern monk and artist.