ganef

[ gah-nuhf ]

/ ˈgɑ nəf /

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noun Slang.

a thief, swindler, crook, or rascal.

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Also gon·if, gon·iff

[gon-uhf] /ˈgɒn əf/ .

Origin of ganef

First recorded in 1920–25; from Yiddish, from Hebrew gannābh

Words nearby ganef

G & S, G and T, gandy dancer, Gandzha, gane, ganef, Ganesh, Ganesha, gang, Ganga jal, gangbang

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

How to use ganef in a sentence

"A ganef you couldn't tell what he would do at all," Linkheimer rejoined, and Abe rose to his feet.
Abe and Mawruss|Montague Glass
Maybe he ain't no more a ganef as I am, Mawruss, but just the same, he is in jail and I ain't.
Abe and Mawruss|Montague Glass
A Ganef like your father is stealing the money, too, I bet yer.
Elkan Lubliner, American|Montague Glass

British Dictionary definitions for ganef

ganef

ganev or ganof gonif or gonof

/ (ˈɡɑːnəf) /

noun US slang

an unscrupulous opportunist who stoops to sharp practice

Word Origin for ganef

from Yiddish, from Hebrew gannābh thief, from gānnabh he stole

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