Abraham

[ey-bruh-ham, -huhm]

noun

1. the first of the great Biblical patriarchs, father of Isaac, and traditional founder of the ancient Hebrew nation: considered by Muslims an ancestor of the Arab peoples through his son Ishmael.

2. a first name: from a Hebrew word meaning “father of many.”

Abraham

/ ˈeɪbrəˌhæm, -həm /

noun

1. Old Testament the first of the patriarchs, the father of Isaac and the founder of the Hebrew people (Genesis 11–25)

2. the place where the just repose after death (Luke 16:22)

Other Word Forms

• Abrahamic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Abraham¹

First recorded before 1000; from Late Latin, from Greek Abraám, from Hebrew ʾabhrāhām, traditionally translated as “father of many nations, father of multitudes,” equivalent to ʾabh “father” + hamon “multitude,” or a variant of ʾabhram “high father, exalted father,” equivalent to ʾabh “father” + ram “high, exalted”

Example Sentences

But the Republican billionaire president has broader aspirations -- to revive the Abraham Accords reached during his first White House term, under which the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco offered Israel diplomatic recognition.

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The deal now opens the prospect of expanding the Abraham Accords between Israel and the Arab states.

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Do the white male boys’ clubs still reign, as represented by the statue of Yale founder Abraham Pierson glowering down at the students?

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The house will be better shielded against fire, Abraham said, with concrete roof tiles, tempered windows, sprinklers and enclosed eaves.

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Even more contested figures such as John F. Kennedy or Abraham Lincoln show the same pattern.

Read more on Salon