Jacob

American  

[jey-kuhb, zha-kawb] / ˈdʒeɪ kəb, ʒaˈkɔb /

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.”

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Jacob British  

/ 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

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Jacob Scientific  

/ zhä-kôb′ /

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.

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Etymology

Origin of Jacob

sense 2 in allusion to Genesis 30:40

Example Sentences

Matthews added another after the break, followed by Patrick Schickerling and Kyle Rowe, with tries from Danny Southworth and Jacob Beetham little more than consolation for the Welsh side.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

On the final day of the regular season for Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, catcher Jacob Madrid put together a game to remember.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

Astor on its website said it was built on the highest principles of John Jacob Astor, the German-born fur trader who was credited as America’s richest man when he died in 1848.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

Apple delivered a "standout quarter" even though iPhone revenue came in just shy of expectations, according to Emarketer senior tech analyst Jacob Bourne.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

Then Jacob, never wanting to be seen as the helpless little brother, chimes in, “No, Isaac, let it be me who stays behind. I am swifter than you, and I will manage on my own.”

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar