Jonah
Americannoun
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a Minor Prophet who, for his impiety, was thrown overboard from his ship and swallowed by a large fish, remaining in its belly for three days before being cast up onto the shore unharmed.
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a book of the Bible bearing his name.
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any person or thing regarded as bringing bad luck.
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Also Jonas a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “dove.”
noun
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Old Testament
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a Hebrew prophet who, having been thrown overboard from a ship in which he was fleeing from God, was swallowed by a great fish and vomited onto dry land
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the book in which his adventures are recounted
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a person believed to bring bad luck to those around him; a jinx
Other Word Forms
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
News of the discoveries eventually reached Jonah Choiniere at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
"Dolly is like a mother to everyone who lives here," said 24-year-old local Jonah La Grand, clad in a Dolly Parton t-shirt and speaking of her in the present tense.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
"Luckily Jonah was fascinated to find out about his heritage," said Rachel.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Ayala 7, Maranatha 6: A Jonah Boyd single in the seventh broke a 6-6 tie and kept Ayala alive in the Division 1 playoffs.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 16, 2026
Fran makes me sit on a little bench near her garden, and Jonah takes the leash from her and scratches Baxter’s back while she goes inside.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
