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Webster 1913 Edition

Union

Un′ion

(?; 277)
,
Noun.
[F., from L.
unio
oneness, union, a single large pearl, a kind of onion, fr.
unus
one. See
One
, and cf.
Onion
,
Unit
.]
1.
The act of uniting or joining two or more things into one, or the state of being united or joined; junction; coalition; combination.
☞ Union differs from connection, as it implies that the bodies are in contact, without an inter[GREEK]ening body; whereas things may be connected by the in[GREEK][GREEK][GREEK]vention of a third body, as by a cord or chain.
2.
Agreement and conjunction of mind, spirit, will, affections, or the like; harmony; concord.
3.
That which is united, or made one; something formed by a combination or coalition of parts or members; a confederation; a consolidated body; a league;
as, the weavers have formed a
union
; trades
unions
have become very numerous; the United States of America are often called the
Union
.
A. Hamilton.
4.
A textile fabric composed of two or more materials, as cotton, silk, wool, etc., woven together.
5.
A large, fine pearl.
[Obs.]
If they [pearls] be white, great, round, smooth, and weighty . . . our dainties and delicates here at Rome . . . call them
unions
, as a man would say “singular,” and by themselves alone.
Holland.
In the cup an
union
shall he throw,
Richer than that which four successive kings
In Denmark’s crown have worn.
Shakespeare
6.
A device emblematic of union, used on a national flag or ensign, sometimes, as in the military standard of Great Britain, covering the whole field; sometimes, as in the flag of the United States, and the English naval and marine flag, occupying the upper inner corner, the rest of the flag being called the fly. Also, a flag having such a device; especially, the flag of Great Britain.
☞ The union of the United States ensign is a cluster of white stars, denoting the union of the States, and, properly, equal in number to that of the States, displayed on a blue field; the fly being composed of alternate stripes of red and white. The union of the British ensign is the three crosses of St. George, St. Andrew, and St. Patrick in combination, denoting the union of England, Scotland and Ireland, displayed on a blue field in the national banner used on shore, on a red, white, or blue field in naval ensigns, and with a white border or fly in the merchant service.
7.
(Mach.)
A joint or other connection uniting parts of machinery, or the like, as the elastic pipe of a tender connecting it with the feed pipe of a locomotive engine; especially, a pipe fitting for connecting pipes, or pipes and fittings, in such a way as to facilitate disconnection.
8.
(Brewing)
A cask suspended on trunnions, in which fermentation is carried on.
Hypostatic union
(Theol.)
See under
Hypostatic
.
–
Latin union
.
See under
Latin
.
–
Legislative Union
(Eng. Hist.)
,
the union of Great Britain and Ireland, which took place Jan. 1, 1801.
–
Union
, or
Act of Union
(Eng. Hist.)
,
the act by which Scotland was united to England, or by which the two kingdoms were incorporated into one, in 1707.
–
Union by the first intention
, or
Union by the second intention
.
(Surg.)
See
To heal by the first intention
, or
To heal by the second intention
, under
Intention
.
–
Union down
(Naut.)
,
a signal of distress at sea made by reversing the flag, or turning its union downward.
–
Union jack
.
(Naut.)
See
Jack
,
Noun.
, 10.
–
Union joint
.
(Mech.)
(a)
A joint formed by means of a union.
(b)
A piece of pipe made in the form of the letter
T
.
Syn. – Unity; junction; connection; concord; alliance; coalition; combination; confederacy.
–
Union
,
Unity
. Union is the act of bringing two or more things together so as to make but one, or the state of being united into one. Unity is a state of simple oneness, either of essence, as the unity of God, or of action, feeling, etc., as unity of design, of affection, etc. Thus, we may speak of effecting a union of interests which shall result in a unity of labor and interest in securing a given object.
One kingdom, joy, and
union
without end.
Milton.
[Man] is to . . . beget
Like of his like, his image multiplied.
In
unity
defective; which requires
Collateral love, and dearest amity.
Milton.

Webster 1828 Edition

Union

U'NION

,
Noun.
[L. unio, to unite, from unus, one.]
1.
The act of joining two or more things into one, and thus forming a compound body or a mixture; or the junction or coalition of things thus united. Union differs from connection, as it implies the bodies to be in contact, without an intervening body; whereas things may be connected by the intervention of a third body, as by a cord or chain.
One kingdom, joy and union without end.
2.
Concord; agreement and conjunction of mind, will, affections or interest. Happy is the family where perfect union subsists between all its members.
3.
The junction or united existence of spirit and matter; as the union of soul and body.
4.
Among painters, a symmetry and agreement between the several parts of a painting.
5.
In architecture, harmony between the colors in the materials of a building.
6.
In ecclesiastical affairs, the combining or consolidating of two or more churches into one. This cannot be done without the consent of the bishop, the patron, and the incumbent. Union is by accession, when the united benefice becomes an accessory of the principal; by confusion, where the two titles are suppressed, and a new one created, including both; and by equality, where the two titles subsist, but are equal and independent.
7.
States united. Thus the United States of America are sometimes call the Union.
8.
A pearl. [L. unio. Not in use.]
Union, or Act of union, the act by which Scotland was united to England, or by which the two kingdoms were incorporated into one, in 1707.
Legislative union, the union of Great Britain and Ireland, in 1800.
Union by the first intention, in surgery, the process by which the opposite surfaces of recent wounds grow together and unite without suppuration, when they are kept in contact with each other; the result of a wonderful self-healing power in living bodies.

Definition 2024

Union

Union

See also: union and unión

English

Noun

Union ‎(plural Unions)

  1. The 0-10-2 train configuration. Derived from the name of the only U.S. company to use that configuration.

Proper noun

Union

  1. (US, with determiner, dated, especially 19th century) The United States of America.
  2. (US, with determiner, historical) Those of the United States that did not secede at the time of the Civil War (of the United States of America).
  3. (Britain, with determiner) The United Kingdom (of Scotland, England, and Wales (Great Britain); or subsequently, Ireland or Northern Ireland)
  4. One of several municipalities
    1. A town in Alabama, USA.
    2. A ghost town in California, USA.
    3. A town in Connecticut, USA.
    4. A village in Illinois, USA.
    5. A city/town in Iowa, USA.
    6. A city in Kentucky, USA.
    7. A town in Maine, USA.
    8. A town in Mississippi, USA.
    9. A city in Missouri, USA.
    10. A village in Nebraska, USA.
    11. A town/city in New York, USA.
    12. A city in Ohio, USA.
    13. A city/town in Oregon, USA.
    14. A city in South Carolina, USA.
    15. A town in West Virginia, USA.
    16. One of seven towns in Wisconsin, USA.

Anagrams

German

Etymology

From French union, from Late Latin ūniō, from Latin ūnus ‎(“one”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /uˈni̯oːn/

Noun

Union f ‎(genitive Union, plural Unionen)

  1. union

Declension

Proper noun

Union f ‎(genitive Union)

  1. (politics) The CDU/CSU: the union of the two Christian democratic parties in Germany, the CSU in Bavaria and the CDU in the rest of Germany.

union

union

See also: Union and unión

English

Noun

union ‎(plural unions)

  1. (countable) The act of uniting or joining two or more things into one.
  2. (uncountable) The state of being united or joined.
  3. (countable) That which is united, or made one; something formed by a combination or coalition of parts or members; a confederation; a consolidated body; a league.
  4. (countable) A trade union; a workers' union.
    • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 22, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
      In the autumn there was a row at some cement works about the unskilled labour men. A union had just been started for them and all but a few joined. One of these blacklegs was laid for by a picket and knocked out of time.
  5. (countable) An association of students at a university for social and/or political purposes; also in some cases a debating body.
  6. (countable) A joint or other connection uniting parts of machinery, such as pipes.
  7. (countable, set theory) The set containing all of the elements of two or more sets.
  8. (countable) The act or state of marriage.
  9. (uncountable, archaic, euphemistic) Sexual intercourse.
  10. (countable, computing) A data structure that can store any of various types of item, but only one at a time.
  11. (countable, now rare, archaic) A large, high-quality pearl.
    • 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, II.3.3:
      Nonius the senator hath a purple coat as stiff with jewels as his mind is full of vices; rings on his fingers worth 20,000 sesterces, and […] an union in his ear worth an hundred pounds' weight of gold […].

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Related terms

See also

Verb

union ‎(third-person singular simple present unions, present participle unioning, simple past and past participle unioned)

  1. To combine sets using the union operation.

Anagrams

Danish

Etymology

Borrowing from English union.

Noun

union c (singular definite unionen, plural indefinite unioner)

  1. a union

Inflection

Derived terms

  • personalunion
  • realunion

Esperanto

Noun

union

  1. accusative singular of unio

French

Etymology

From Old French union, a borrowing from Late Latin ūniōnem, accusative singular of ūniō. Compare the inherited doublet oignon.

Pronunciation

Noun

union f ‎(plural unions)

  1. a union

Old French

Etymology

Borrowing from Late Latin unio.

Proper noun

union f ‎(nominative singular union)

  1. Trinity (God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit)

Synonyms

  • Trinité

Swedish

Pronunciation

Noun

union c

  1. a union (a body with many members)

Declension

Inflection of union 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative union unionen unioner unionerna
Genitive unions unionens unioners unionernas

Related terms

  • unionsupplösning

See also

Venetian

Etymology

Compare Italian unione

Noun

union f ‎(invariable)

  1. union

Welsh

Etymology

un ‎(“one”) +‎ iawn ‎(“right, correct”)

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɪnjɔn/

Usage notes

  • Despite being written as u, the initial vowel here is /ɪ/ in all parts of Wales.

Adjective

union ‎(feminine singular union, plural union)

  1. exact

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical soft nasal h-prothesis
union unchanged unchanged hunion
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Etymology

Borrowing from Old French union, from Late Latin unionem, from Latin ūnus ‎(“one”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈjuːnjən/

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