Jew
[ joo ]
/ dʒu /
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noun
one of a scattered group of people that traces its descent from the Biblical Hebrews or from postexilic adherents of Judaism; Israelite.
a person whose religion is Judaism.
a subject of the ancient kingdom of Judah.
adjective
Offensive. of Jews; Jewish.
verb (used with object)
(lowercase)Offensive. to bargain sharply with; beat down in price (often followed by down).
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Origin of Jew
1125–75; Middle English jewe, giu, gyu, ju<Old French juiu, juieu, gyu<Late Latin judēus,Latin jūdaeus<Greek ioudaîos<Aramaic yehūdāi<Hebrew Yəhūdhī, derivative of YəhūdhāhJudah; replacing Old English iūdēas Jews <Late Latin jūdē(us) + Old English -as plural ending
usage note for Jew
The adjectival use of Jew, as in the phrase Jew boy, is now perceived as insulting; the adjective Jewish should be used instead. The verb jew (down) is also perceived as offensive, because it perpetuates the stereotype of the shrewd Jewish moneylender or haggler. Originally, however, both the adjective and the verb were used in a neutral way by Jews and non-Jews.
OTHER WORDS FROM Jew
non-Jew, nounWords nearby Jew
Other definitions for Jew (2 of 2)
Jew.
abbreviation
Jewish.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use Jew in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for Jew
Jew
/ (dʒuː) /
noun
a member of the Semitic people who claim descent from the ancient Hebrew people of Israel, are spread throughout the world, and are linked by cultural or religious ties
a person whose religion is Judaism
Word Origin for Jew
C12: from Old French juiu, from Latin jūdaeus, from Greek ioudaios, from Hebrew yehūdī, from yehūdāh Judah
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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