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• Joseph
  Joseph

  noun

  (in the Bible) Jacob's eleventh son, the first of Jacob and his second wife, Rachel: sold into slavery by his brothers.
• joseph
  joseph

  noun

  a woman's floor-length riding coat with a small cape, worn esp in the 18th century

Joseph

American  

[joh-zuhf, -suhf] / ˈdʒoʊ zəf, -səf /

noun

1. (in the Bible) Jacob's eleventh son, the first of Jacob and his second wife, Rachel: sold into slavery by his brothers.

2. (in the Bible) the husband of Mary who was the mother of Jesus.

3. Hinmaton-yalaktit, c1840–1904, leader of the Nez Perce: led 1,000-mile (1,600-km) retreat from U.S. forces in an attempt to reach Canada in 1877.

4. joseph, a long coat buttoning in the front, worn especially by women as part of their riding habit in colonial America.

5. a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “increaser.”

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Joseph ¹ British  

/ ˈdʒəʊzɪf /

noun

1. Old Testament

   1. the eleventh son of Jacob and one of the 12 patriarchs of Israel (Genesis 30:2–24)

   2. either or both of two tribes descended from his sons Ephraim and Manasseh

2. New Testament the husband of Mary the mother of Jesus (Matthew 1:16–25). Feast day: Mar 19

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joseph ² British  

/ ˈdʒəʊzɪf /

noun

1. a woman's floor-length riding coat with a small cape, worn esp in the 18th century

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Etymology

Origin of joseph

perhaps from the story of Joseph and his long coat (Genesis 37:3)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Joseph joseph

You’ll also hear a familiar voice, with Slow Burn host Susan Matthews interviewing Amicus co-host Mark Joseph Stern.

From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2026

Adding third-party capital and credit decision-making “should arguably alleviate circularity concerns…while admittedly polarizing the debate,” Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore wrote Tuesday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Joseph Fransen, the study’s chief author, told the Commission that he took inspiration from the federal government’s 9/11 after-action report, which dissected mistakes leading up to the terrorist attack.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

That Nvidia is mostly using funding from third parties to invest in AI factories, or large-scale data centers, “should arguably alleviate circularity concerns,” Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore said in a note to clients.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

The pencil wouldn’t obey her, and she became so angry she wanted to snap it in two—except that it belonged to Baba Joseph.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

Chinua Achebe: The man who rediscovered Africa Topics: , , , joseph conrad, heart of darkness, , , Chinua Achebe has died at 82.

From Salon ● Mar. 22, 2013

In the afternoon, his flying joseph was exchanged for a round jacket of sea-grass: and in the evening he generally appeared in a seersucker coat.

From Pencil Sketches or, Outlines of Character and Manners by Eliza Leslie

I knew her when first she 'lighted, notwithstanding her being neatly dressed in a green joseph, which, I'll assure you, sir, becomes her remarkably well.

From The Adventures of Sir Launcelot Greaves by T. (Tobias) Smollett

I did as she bade me, and she doffed hat and joseph.

From The Yeoman Adventurer by George W. Gough

I hope the last I got here will not disturb the Meeting, and my new muff,—very big it is,—and a green joseph to ride in.

From Hugh Wynne, Free Quaker by S. Weir (Silas Weir) Mitchell