Reuben
- the eldest son of Jacob and Leah. Gen. 29, 30.
- one of the 12 tribes of Israel, the tribe traditionally descended from him.
- Reuben sandwich.
- a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “behold a son.”
Examples from the Web for reuben
Contemporary Examples of reuben
The man who would come to be known as Roy Masters was born Reuben Obermeister in 1920s London.
“She was born into slavery,” Reuben said of her character, Elizabeth Keckley.
Seated between two fellow reporters I ordered a Reuben sandwich and sipped from a tall glass of ice water.
Historical Examples of reuben
For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.
Female Scripture Biographies, Vol. IFrancis Augustus Cox
For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
Female Scripture Biographies, Vol. IFrancis Augustus Cox
There wa'n't nobody else; the world was all Reuben 'n' all Lovey to them.
The Village Watch-Tower(AKA Kate Douglas Riggs) Kate Douglas Wiggin
It might have gone ill with Reuben had he been left to his own resources.
Micah ClarkeArthur Conan Doyle
I was in the act of following him into the room, when Reuben plucked at my sleeve to detain me.
Micah ClarkeArthur Conan Doyle
Reuben
- 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
Word Origin and History for reuben
Reuben
masc. proper name, Old Testament eldest son of Jacob and name of the tribe descended from him, from Greek Rouben, from Hebrew Reubhen, probably literally "Behold a son," from reu, imperative of ra'ah "he saw" + ben "a son." As a typical name of a farmer, rustic, or country bumpkin, from 1804. The reuben sandwich (1956) is "Not obviously connected" with the sense in rube [OED], possibly from Reuben's restaurant, a popular spot in New York's Lower East Side.