Reuben

[ roo-buhn ]

noun

the eldest son of Jacob and Leah. Genesis 29, 30.
one of the 12 tribes of Israel, the tribe traditionally descended from him.

Reuben sandwich.
a male given name.

Origin of Reuben

From Late Latin Ruben, from Greek Rhoubḗn, from Hebrew Rĕʾūbhēn, of uncertain origin, but traditionally translated as “Behold, a son!” and associated with Rāʾāh bĕʿōnī “He (God) has looked upon my affliction” (by granting Leah a son)

Words Nearby Reuben

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Reuben in a sentence

The man who would come to be known as Roy Masters was born Reuben Obermeister in 1920s London.
The Godfather of Right-Wing Radio | Caitlin Dickson | November 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
“She was born into slavery,” Reuben said of her character, Elizabeth Keckley.
Tony Kushner: Obama Likes ‘Lincoln’ | Abigail Pesta | November 16, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Seated between two fellow reporters I ordered a Reuben sandwich and sipped from a tall glass of ice water.
The Boys on the Bus | Ben Crair | November 3, 2008 | THE DAILY BEAST
Reuben the oldest was told that he would not excel, because he had loved his father's concubine and committed a grievous sin.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume II | John Lord
Thus Reuben learned of a peculiar tragedy, in a manner which no reading in itself could so well have taught him.
The Bay State Monthly, Vol. II, No. 6, March, 1885 | Various

When Reuben spied the house on Mount Holyoke he realized then that he saw his first mountain.
The Bay State Monthly, Vol. II, No. 6, March, 1885 | Various
It would have been hard for Reuben to say just why he found the Perdu so attractive.
Earth's Enigmas | Charles G. D. Roberts
But it was the mother's opposition that loomed large in Reuben's eyes.
Earth's Enigmas | Charles G. D. Roberts

British Dictionary definitions for Reuben

Reuben

/ (ˈruːbɪn) /

nounOld Testament

the eldest son of Jacob and Leah: one of the 12 patriarchs of Israel (Genesis 29:30)
the Israelite tribe descended from him

the territory of this tribe, lying to the northeast of the Dead Sea

Douay spelling: Ruben

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

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