Joseph

[joh-zuhf, -suhf]

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.”

Joseph

¹

/ 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

joseph

²

/ ˈdʒəʊzɪf /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Joseph¹

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

Example Sentences

Following World War II, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin was highly suspicious of Russian troops returning from the eastern front.

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For example, a report published Thursday by Goldman Sachs senior economist Joseph Briggs maintains that “the AI spending boom is not too big” and “anticipated investment levels are sustainable”.

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Her analysis was checked by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which has its own model for assessing development opportunities being considered by housing associations.

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Harvard Business School’s Joseph Pine predicted this in 1999 — it only took 25 years for us to figure out he was right.

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“It’s a steady grower, but not outperforming,” J&J Chief Financial Officer Joseph Wolk said in an interview.

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