rebbe
noun
a teacher in a Jewish school.
rebbe
American
[reb-uh]
/ ˈrɛb ə /
noun
Yiddish.
-
a teacher in a Jewish school.
-
(often initial capital letter) a title of respect for the leader of a Hasidic group.
Rebbe
British
/ ˈrɛbə /
noun
-
the usually dynastic leader of a Chassidic sect
-
an individual's chosen spiritual mentor
Etymology
Origin of Rebbe
Yiddish, from Hebrew rabbī rabbi
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“We needed that damn rebbe already,” one trader wrote.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
The Sacred Tribe’s members are happy to have their rebbe, or spiritual leader, back in front of the congregation.
From Washington Times • Dec. 14, 2022
The trouble began when a car driven by a Hasidic Jew, part of the entourage of the Lubavitcher grand rebbe, Menachem M. Schneerson, struck and killed Gavin Cato, a Black 7-year-old.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 24, 2020
“Above the synagogue of the Kotzker rebbe: Jews don’t despair.”
From Washington Post • Nov. 17, 2016
The rebbe exchanges his skull-cap for his street cap, is about to go.
From The Promised Land by Antin, Mary
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
