Hebrew

[ hee-broo ]

/ ˈhi bru /

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noun

a member of the Semitic peoples inhabiting ancient Palestine and claiming descent from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; an Israelite.

a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic family, the language of the ancient Hebrews, which, although not in a vernacular use from 100 b.c. to the 20th century, was retained as the scholarly and liturgical language of Jews and is now the national language of Israel. Abbreviation: Heb

adjective

Hebraic.

noting or pertaining to the script developed from the Aramaic and early Hebraic alphabets, used since about the 3rd century b.c. for the writing of Hebrew, and later for Yiddish, Ladino, and other languages.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

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Origin of Hebrew

before 1000; Middle English Hebreu, variant (with H-<Latin ) of Ebreu<Old French <Medieval Latin Ebrēus for Latin Hebraeus<Late Greek Hebraîos<Aramaic ʿIbhraij; replacing Old English Ebrēas (plural) <Medieval Latin Ebrēī

OTHER WORDS FROM Hebrew

non-Hebrew, noun, adjectivepre-Hebrew, adjective, noun

Words nearby Hebrew

Hebraicize, Hebraism, Hebraist, Hebraistic, Hebraize, Hebrew, Hebrew Bible, Hebrew calendar, Hebrews, Hebridean, Hebrides

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use Hebrew in a sentence

These rebel women had Polish, Hebrew, and Yiddish names, as well as nicknames.
Why the Stories of Jewish Women Who Fought the Nazis Remained Hidden for So Long|Judy Batalion|April 8, 2021|Time
That’s because the wide-eyed man with a gentle grin that refuses to leave his face had decided to “make an aliyah” — the Hebrew word for “elevation” or “going up” — by moving his family to Israel four years ago on the basis of their Jewish origin.
Training ‘Mind Muscles’ for Sports Stardom|Pallabi Munsi|April 4, 2021|Ozy
Her husband David, 70, is executive director of Kavod v’Nichum, Hebrew for honor and comfort, a national organization that promotes traditional Jewish funeral practices.
A Maryland couple opened their home to a Honduran mother and son. They ended up sharing more than space.|Stephanie García|January 30, 2021|Washington Post
Presented in Hebrew with English subtitles, Losing Alice comes to Apple’s streaming service from Israel—and is thus the kind of title that, as recently as a decade ago, struggled to find a home on stateside television.
The Best Result of the Streaming Boom? America Finally Loves Foreign-Language TV|Judy Berman|January 22, 2021|Time

That’s why Every Life Is On Fire daringly brings ideas from the Hebrew Scriptures and uses them to unpack the science.
The Physicist’s New Book of Life - Issue 92: Frontiers|Michael Brooks|October 21, 2020|Nautilus
So why did the God of the Hebrew people choose such a scandalous setting for becoming human?
Jesus Wasn’t Born Rich. Think About It.|Gene Robinson|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They were conducted entirely in Hebrew, a language the U.S. native does not speak, although he was provided a translator.
The Strange Case of the Christian Zionist Terrorist|Creede Newton|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The name Easter may, or may not, be derived from the Sumerian goddess Inanna, or Ishtar—the source of the Hebrew name Esther.
Meet Krampus, the Seriously Bad Santa|Jay Michaelson|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then just 8-years-old he saw writing on a deli Billboard that was in Hebrew.
Out of the Birdcage: How Mike Nichols Made Gay Culture Mainstream|Kevin Fallon|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But he insist his character, Petel (Hebrew for raspberry) has a universal appeal.
Trans in the Holy Land: ‘Marzipan Flowers,’ Tal Kallai, and the Shattering of Israel’s LGBT Taboos|Itay Hod|November 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was converted and baptized, and was the first Hebrew instructor at Harvard college.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
The verb (—) in the Hebrew, when connected with the name of God in different other passages, has the same import.
The Ordinance of Covenanting|John Cunningham
The Greek word has become blended with the Hebrew phrase, and the compound used as a formula of execration.
Notes and Queries, Number 196, July 30, 1853|Various
In the Hebrew the Beautiful place is expressed by the word Sapir, which some take for the proper name of a city.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
We owe it neither to the Syriac tongue nor to the Hebrew, a jargon of the Syriac, in which adultery is called niuph.
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 1 (of 10)|Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)

British Dictionary definitions for Hebrew

Hebrew

/ (ˈhiːbruː) /

noun

the ancient language of the Hebrews, revived as the official language of Israel. It belongs to the Canaanitic branch of the Semitic subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic family of languages

a member of an ancient Semitic people claiming descent from Abraham; an Israelite

archaic, or offensive a Jew

adjective

of or relating to the Hebrews or their language

archaic, or offensive Jewish

Word Origin for Hebrew

C13: from Old French Ebreu, from Latin Hebraeus, from Greek Hebraios, from Aramaic `ibhray, from Hebrew `ibhrī one from beyond (the river)

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

Cultural definitions for Hebrew

Hebrew

The language of the Hebrews, in which the Old Testament was written. It is the language of the modern state of Israel.