reb

[reb]

noun Informal.

a Confederate soldier.

Origin of reb

shortened form of rebel

Reb

[reb]

noun Yiddish.

Mister (used as a title of respect).

Origin of Reb

literally, rabbi

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for reb

Contemporary Examples of reb

My late grandfather, Reb Zalman Serebryanski, would repeat the time-worn adage “a Chassid is a soldat (soldier).”
What Peter Beinart Gets Wrong About Chabad
David Werdiger
July 1, 2013

Historical Examples of reb

Let us enter one of the houses, that of Reb Mordecai Winenki.
Rabbi and Priest
Milton Goldsmith
When Reb Mordecai concluded his sad narration, all about him were in tears.
Rabbi and Priest
Milton Goldsmith
The hands of Reb' Lebe were large, and his beard was not half a handful.
The Promised Land
Mary Antin
This head of his, "Reb" Yankel used to say, was stuffed with hay or feathers.
Jewish Children
Sholem Naumovich Rabinovich
And that was how it came about that there were two parties at "Reb" Yankel's "Cheder."
Jewish Children
Sholem Naumovich Rabinovich

British Dictionary definitions for reb

reb

noun

(sometimes capital) US informal a Confederate soldier in the American Civil War (1861–65)Also called: Johnny Reb

Word Origin for reb

short for rebel

Reb

noun

Judaism an honorific title, corresponding to Mr, for those who do not have rabbinic qualifications: usually followed by the person's forenameReb Dovid

Word Origin for Reb

Yiddish, from Hebrew rabbī rabbi, master

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for reb

abbreviation of rebel (n.), 1862, in U.S. Civil War context.