Jacob

[jey-kuhb, zha-kawb]

noun

1. (in the Bible) the second son of Isaac, the twin brother of Esau, and father of the 12 patriarchs.

2. François 1920–2013, French geneticist: Nobel Prize in Medicine 1965.

3. a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “supplanter.”

Jacob

/ ˈdʒeɪkəb /

noun

1. Old Testament the son of Isaac, twin brother of Esau, and father of the twelve patriarchs of Israel

2. Also called: Jacob sheep. any of an ancient breed of sheep having a fleece with dark brown patches and two or four horns

Jacob

1. French geneticist who studied how genes control cellular activity by directing the synthesis of proteins. With Jacques Monod, he theorized that there are genes that regulate the activity of other, neighboring genes. They also proposed the existence of messenger RNA.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Jacob¹

sense 2 in allusion to Genesis 30:40

Example Sentences

The purported officer urges military chief Jacob Mkunda to take action and ensure the country is united, and uphold citizen's rights.

From BBC

Anderson said the arrest and conviction would not have been possible without the “old-fashioned detective work” of sheriff’s detective Jacob Hernandez or investigators with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

From Los Angeles Times

He was a close ally of former President Jacob Zuma and was implicated in what is known in South Africa as the state capture inquiry, which looked into allegations of high-level corruption during Zuma's presidency.

From BBC

He’s the leading candidate facing off against two-term incumbent mayor Jacob Frey, who has the backing of the Democratic establishment and its donors.

From Salon

Losing the vice-captaincy appeared to make Pope more vulnerable to losing his spot in the team to Jacob Bethell, but Key has reiterated that Pope is "in possession" of the number three position.

From BBC