Balaam

American

[bey-luhm] / ˈbeɪ ləm /

noun

(in the Bible) a Mesopotamian diviner who, when commanded by Balak to curse the Israelites, blessed them and uttered favorable prophecies after having been rebuked by the ass he rode.

Balaam British

/ ˈbeɪlæm /

noun

Old Testament a Mesopotamian diviner who, when summoned to curse the Israelites, prophesied future glories for them instead, after being reproached by his ass (Numbers 22–23)

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of Balaam

From Late Latin Balaam, from Greek Balaám, from Hebrew Bilʿām, of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Balaam

Balaam said authorities also detected one “illegally flown drone” in the burn zone, posing a threat to the aerial firefight.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

“Please be ready to go. We can’t stress this enough,” said Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

Renner was trying to get back into the driver's seat to stop it moving, when the "extremely large" piece of equipment ran him over, Mr Balaam added.

From BBC ● Jan. 1, 2024

"He was being a great neighbor and he was plowing those roads for his neighbor," Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam told CNN.

From Salon ● Jan. 18, 2023

Balaam was a conjuror, and a person of no small consequence in his day.

From A Legacy to the Friends of Free Discussion by Benjamin Offen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023