Jacob

American  

[jay-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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Jacob

Emarketer analyst Jacob Bourne agreed that the chip maker’s performance “will give investors encouragement” across the broader AI universe.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

In 1855, British astronomer William Jacob proposed that the system contained a planet, making it the first star system to host an officially proposed exoplanet candidate.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026

Milwaukee starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski left the game in the sixth inning and the Rays finally got on the scoreboard in the ninth as Chandler Simpson sent Liam Hicks home off a double.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

Investors need to actively protect ours, Jacob Bornstein and David Tenen write.

From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026

“I was asking Jacob, darling. But thank you.”

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

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