baleboste

[ bah-luh-buhs-tuh, -baws- ]

/ ˌbɑ ləˈbʌs tə, -ˈbɔs- /

noun Informal.

a capable, efficient housewife, especially a traditional Jewish one, devoted to maintaining a well-run home.

QUIZZES

Discover The Influence Of Portuguese On English Via This Quiz!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby baleboste

baldwin, james, baldy, bale, bale cubic, balearic islands, baleboste, baleen, baleen whale, balefire, baleful, balenciaga

Also ba·le·bus·te

[bah-luh-buhs-tuh, -boo s-] /ˌbɑ ləˈbʌs tə, -ˈbʊs-/.

Origin of baleboste

< Yiddish bal(e)boste, bal(e)buste proprietress, housekeeper, housewife, equivalent to bal(e)bos, bal(e)bus proprietor, owner, master (compare Hebrew baʿal habayth master of the house) + -te feminine noun suffix (compare Aramaic -ta, equivalent to -t feminine suffix + -a definite article)