aleph

[ ah-lif; Hebrew ah-lef ]

/ ˈɑ lɪf; Hebrew ˈɑ lɛf /

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noun

the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

the glottal stop consonant or, alternatively, long vowel represented by this letter.

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Origin of aleph

1250–1300; Middle English <Hebrew āleph, akin to eleph ox

Words nearby aleph

alembicated, Alençon, Alençon lace, Alene, leopard cannot change its spots, a, aleph, aleph-bet, aleph-null, Aleppo, Aleppo gall, Aleppo pine

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use aleph in a sentence

Daneri is using the Aleph to write a terrible poem that minutely and pointlessly describes everything on earth.
Is Dave Eggers’ ‘The Circle’ Our Generation’s ‘1984’?|Stefan Beck|October 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
When I learned my ABCs, they taught us our Aleph-Bet at the same time.
How I Write: Nathan Englander|Noah Charney|March 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Commonly referred to under the symbol , the Hebrew letter, Aleph.
Lectures on Bible Revision|Samuel Newth
The first begins with Aleph, the second with Beth, and so on, the second verse of each pair not being counted in the scheme.
The Expositor's Bible: The Psalms, Vol. 1|A. Maclaren

Each short clause begins with Aleph; each makes the same fervid resolve.
The Expositor's Bible: The Psalms, Vol. 1|A. Maclaren
I give this suggestion with all proper diffidence, and with some genuine misgiving as to the “breathing aleph.”
Tradition|John Francis Arundell

British Dictionary definitions for aleph

aleph

/ (ˈɑːlɪf, Hebrew ˈaːlɛf) /

noun

the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet (א) articulated as a glottal stop and transliterated with a superior comma (`)

Word Origin for aleph

Hebrew: ox

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012