Gabbai
[Sephardic Hebrew gah-bahy; Ashkenazic Hebrew gah-bahy; English guh-bahy]
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noun, plural Gab·ba·im [Sephardic Hebrew gah-bah-eem; Ashkenazic Hebrew gah-bahy-im] /Sephardic Hebrew gɑ bɑˈim; Ashkenazic Hebrew gɑˈbaɪ ɪm/, English Gab·bais. (sometimes lowercase) Hebrew.
a minor official of a synagogue, having limited ceremonial or administrative functions.
(in the early Middle Ages) a government official charged with collecting taxes.
Origin of Gabbai
literally, treasurer
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for gabbai
Historical Examples of gabbai
He heaved a deep sigh at his own hypocrisy, and the Gabbai sighed in response.
Dreamers of the GhettoI. Zangwill
Then S. Cohn felt not only Gabbai, but town councillor again.
Ghetto ComediesIsrael Zangwill
There was a burst of laughter, to the Gabbai's great astonishment.
Ghetto ComediesIsrael Zangwill
You're the first Gabbai I ever knew who was satisfied with his balance-sheet.
Ghetto ComediesIsrael Zangwill
Shame on you—you a Gabbai (treasurer) of the Great Synagogue.
The King of SchnorrersIsrael Zangwill