Jump To:

• 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.”

---

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

---

joseph ² British  

/ ˈdʒəʊzɪf /

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of joseph

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Joseph joseph

Prosecutors also called Joseph Wilhelm, a special agent from Ohio's Bureau of Criminal Investigations, as a witness.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

He is the first director to take consecutive Oscars since Joseph L.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

Dr. Joseph Burgoyne is a cardiovascular scientist at King's College London whose research is uncovering the molecular mechanisms that control the health of the heart and blood vessels.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026

After observing a shrinking number of stocks driving the stock market’s recent gains, Joseph Adinolfi considered the notion that the old buy-and-hold investing philosophy has become obsolete.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

I sat in the middle of the front seat and Joseph sat on the right.

From "Lawn Boy" by Gary Paulsen

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

From Salon ● Mar. 22, 2013

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

She was dressed in a cinnamon-brown joseph, buttoned at the waist, and showing, above and below, an under-dress of supple woven material, creamy in colour and flowered in golden silk.

From The Yeoman Adventurer by George W. Gough

Olivia would be drawn as an Amazon, sitting upon a bank of flowers, drest in a green joseph, richly laced with gold, and a whip in her hand.

From The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith

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