Reuben
Americannoun
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the eldest son of Jacob and Leah. Genesis 29, 30.
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one of the 12 tribes of Israel, the tribe traditionally descended from him.
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a male given name.
noun
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the eldest son of Jacob and Leah: one of the 12 patriarchs of Israel (Genesis 29:30)
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the Israelite tribe descended from him
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the territory of this tribe, lying to the northeast of the Dead Sea
Etymology
Origin of Reuben
From Late Latin Ruben, from Greek Rhoubḗn, from Hebrew Rĕʾūbhēn, of uncertain origin, but traditionally translated as “Behold, a son!” and associated with Rāʾāh bĕʿōnī “He (God) has looked upon my affliction” (by granting Leah a son)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Reuben was the one character left and I guess he terrified me enough to make me want to do it."
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
Gabby Logan's son, Reuben Logan, read a poem before her daughter Lois Logan sang the hymn Jerusalem, at Yorath's request.
From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026
Adams received the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Award, the industry’s highest honor, in 1997.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 13, 2026
Sauerkraut has long been a bit player in the American diet, topping the occasional hot dog or Reuben sandwich.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 2025
And then, just when Natalie thought things couldn’t get any worse, when she thought Reuben had done everything to her he possibly could, Natalie felt water drip onto her face and looked up.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
