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

On Monday’s Carlson show, Mr. Fuentes assailed “organized Jewry” as the obstacle to American unity and “these Zionist Jews” as the impediment to the right’s success, while calling himself a fan of Joseph Stalin.

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On Friday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Israel of responding to his offer to negotiate by intensifying its air strikes.

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On Thursday, Israeli ground troops carried out a deadly raid into southern Lebanon, prompting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to order the army to confront such incursions.

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Now things are looking a bit more like the 1990s, when many big companies were focused on eliminating workers they felt were no longer needed, according to Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM.

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Nia Joseph doesn’t worry about staying out late on a work night.

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