Abraham

American  

[ey-bruh-ham, -huhm] / ˈeɪ brəˌhæm, -həm /

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.”

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Abraham British  

/ 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)

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Other Word Forms

• Abrahamic adjective

Etymology

Origin of Abraham

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”

Compare meaning

How does abraham compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Abram vs. Abraham

Example Sentences

It is one of 12 statues on or around Parliament Square, most of well-known statesmen such as Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela.

From BBC

Washington already has more than a dozen warships in the Middle East: one aircraft carrier -- the USS Abraham Lincoln -- nine destroyers and three other combat ships.

From Barron's

During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln was said to have called the book’s author, Harriet Beecher Stowe, “the little lady that started this great war.”

From Literature

Washington currently has more than a dozen warships in the Middle East: one aircraft carrier -- the USS Abraham Lincoln -- nine destroyers and three other combat ships.

From Barron's

The US military now has 13 warships stationed in the Middle East: the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which arrived late last month, nine destroyers and three frigates.

From Barron's