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• ben
  ben

  noun

  the inner or back room of a two-room cottage, especially when used as a combined parlor and bedroom.
• Ben
  Ben

  noun

  a first name, form of Benjamin.

ben

¹ American  

[ben] / bɛn /

noun

1. the inner or back room of a two-room cottage, especially when used as a combined parlor and bedroom.

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adverb

1. within; inside.

adjective

1. inside; inner.

ben ² American  

[ben] / bɛn /

noun

1. the seed of a tropical tree, Moringa pterygosperma, that yields an oil ben oil used in manufacturing cosmetics and lubricating delicate machinery.

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ben ³ American  

[ben] / bɛn /

noun

Scot., Irish.

1. a mountain peak; high hill.

   Ben Nevis.

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ben ⁴ American  

[ben] / bɛn /

Also Ben

1. son of (used especially in Hebrew and Arabic names).

   Moses ben Maimon.

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Ben ⁵ American  

[ben] / bɛn /

noun

1. a first name, form of Benjamin.

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ben ¹ British  

/ bɛn /

noun

1. an inner room in a house or cottage

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preposition

1. in; within; inside; into the inner part (of a house)

adjective

1. inner

ben ² British  

/ bɛn /

noun

1. any of several Asiatic trees of the genus Moringa , esp M. oleifera of Arabia and India, whose seeds yield oil of ben , used in manufacturing perfumes and cosmetics, lubricating delicate machinery, etc: family Moringaceae

2. the seed of such a tree

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ben ³ British  

/ bɛn /

noun

1. a mountain peak (esp in place names)

   Ben Lomond

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Etymology

Origin of ben¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English (Scots); as adverb, an unexplained variant of late Middle English bin, Middle English binne, Old English binnan “within” (cognate with Old Frisian binna, Middle Dutch, German binnen ), equivalent to bi- “near, around” + innan “within”; see origin at be-, in

Origin of ben²

First recorded in 1550–60; from Arabic bān, the name of the tree

Origin of ben³

First recorded in 1780–90; from Scots Gaelic, Irish beann “peak”

Origin of ben⁴

From Hebrew bēn, Arabic bin “son”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ben Ben

His classmates “were certainly never known as Mordecai ben Aharon ha Levi—which is what my own name is in Hebrew.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

The new venture is "exciting" and "I feel like they're making noma more accessible," Stephen Velasco, an American who has ben living in Copenhagen for 32 years, told AFP.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2025

Cyprus has hosted joint Israeli-Cypriot military exercises, but has not ben involved in any military operations.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 20, 2024

Moussi leads the Free Constitutional Party and is a supporter of late president Zine El Abidine ben Ali who was toppled by mass protests in 2011.

From Reuters ● Oct. 3, 2023

I am Jacob ben Salomon, son of the Jew.

From "Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village" by Laura Amy Schlitz

Ben Seib, a former chief financial officer at Hopebridge, said that company tracked young patients in terms of FTEs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

Kao’s claims are “half baked” and “misleading,” FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson said.

From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026

As my colleagues Ben Glasner and Cardiff Garcia note in an Oct.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben Chilwell and Oscar Mingueza arrived on free transfers, while Axel Disasi and Ahanor arrived on loan.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

Ben must have knocked his plate out of his hands.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

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