Joseph

American  

[joh-zuhf, -suhf] / ˈdʒoʊ zəf, -səf /

noun

1. (in the Bible) Jacob's eleventh son, the first of Jacob and his second wife, Rachel: sold into slavery by his brothers.

2. (in the Bible) the husband of Mary who was the mother of Jesus.

3. Hinmaton-yalaktit, c1840–1904, leader of the Nez Perce: led 1,000-mile (1,600-km) retreat from U.S. forces in an attempt to reach Canada in 1877.

4. joseph, a long coat buttoning in the front, worn especially by women as part of their riding habit in colonial America.

5. a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “increaser.”

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Joseph ¹ British  

/ ˈdʒəʊzɪf /

noun

1. Old Testament

   1. the eleventh son of Jacob and one of the 12 patriarchs of Israel (Genesis 30:2–24)

   2. either or both of two tribes descended from his sons Ephraim and Manasseh

2. New Testament the husband of Mary the mother of Jesus (Matthew 1:16–25). Feast day: Mar 19

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joseph ² British  

/ ˈdʒəʊzɪf /

noun

1. a woman's floor-length riding coat with a small cape, worn esp in the 18th century

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Etymology

Origin of joseph

perhaps from the story of Joseph and his long coat (Genesis 37:3)

Example Sentences

As he arrived and left the court, he smiled at family and supporters including his wife, Teresa Lai, and Cardinal Joseph Zen, the retired bishop of Hong Kong.

From The Wall Street Journal

Societal gains from technological change come from what the economist Joseph Schumpeter called “the wave of creative destruction.”

From The Wall Street Journal

President Joseph Aoun condemned the spraying of what he described as "toxic substances", calling it a violation of Lebanese sovereignty and an environmental and health crime.

From BBC

Joseph Stalin once offered: “Quantity has a quality all of its own.”

From Barron's

Joseph Shaposhnik, portfolio manager of the Rainwater Equity ETF, substantially reduced his exposure to software names over the summer, including selling most of his position in Constellation Software Inc.

From MarketWatch