Jacob

American  

[jey-kuhb, zha-kawb] / ˈdʒeɪ kəb, ʒaˈkɔb /

noun

1. (in the Bible) the second son of Isaac, the twin brother of Esau, and father of the 12 patriarchs.

2. François 1920–2013, French geneticist: Nobel Prize in Medicine 1965.

3. a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “supplanter.”

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Jacob British  

/ ˈdʒeɪkəb /

noun

1. Old Testament the son of Isaac, twin brother of Esau, and father of the twelve patriarchs of Israel

2. Also called: Jacob sheep.  any of an ancient breed of sheep having a fleece with dark brown patches and two or four horns

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Jacob Scientific  

/ zhä-kôb′ /

1. French geneticist who studied how genes control cellular activity by directing the synthesis of proteins. With Jacques Monod, he theorized that there are genes that regulate the activity of other, neighboring genes. They also proposed the existence of messenger RNA.

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Etymology

Origin of Jacob

sense 2 in allusion to Genesis 30:40

Example Sentences

“We don’t win that game tonight,” defenseman Jacob Slavin said, “without him.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026

He also feels that they cannot give Luke all the attention he deserves while they are still "fighting for Jacob".

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026

MS Now‘s Jacob Soboroff played Mamdani the rhyming boast that begin’s “My mayor’s Muslim, my bagel’s Jewish.”

From Salon • Jun. 14, 2026

CEO Jacob DeWitte described the clearance as an “important milestone” and a foundation for future deployments.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

Then Jacob, never wanting to be seen as the helpless little brother, chimes in, “No, Isaac, let it be me who stays behind. I am swifter than you, and I will manage on my own.”

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar