Joseph

[joh-zuhf, -suhf]

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

/ 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

/ ˈdʒəʊzɪf /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Joseph¹

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

Example Sentences

Former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila has been sentenced to death in absentia for war crimes and treason.

From BBC

West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, meanwhile, has been ruled out of next month's two-Test series against India due to the recurrence of a back injury.

From BBC

The religious overtones were unmistakable in Joseph Goebbels’ eulogy:

From Salon

One of the men worked in the office of then Foreign Minister Joseph Wu who now serves as the national security chief.

From BBC

To try and get a grip of the problem, this season they hired Joseph Sells into a new staff position as tickets investigation officer, and he was on duty for the Tottenham fixture.

From BBC