Salem

[sey-luhm]

noun

1. a seaport in northeastern Massachusetts: founded 1626; site of witch hunt 1692–93; home of Nathaniel Hawthorne.

2. a city in and the capital of Oregon, in the northwestern part, on the Willamette River.

3. a town in southeastern New Hampshire.

4. a town in southwestern Virginia, near Roanoke.

5. a city in eastern Ohio.

6. a city in central Tamil Nadu, in southern India.

7. an ancient city of Canaan, later identified with Jerusalem. Genesis 14:18; Psalms 76:2.

Salem

/ ˈseɪləm /

noun

1. a city in S India, in Tamil Nadu: textile industries. Pop: 693 236 (2001)

2. a city in NE Massachusetts, on the Atlantic: scene of the execution of 19 people after the witch hunts of 1692. Pop: 42 067 (2003 est)

3. a city in the NW USA, the state capital of Oregon: food-processing. Pop: 142 914 (2003 est)

4. an Old Testament name for Jerusalem (Genesis 14:18; Psalms 76:2) See Jerusalem

Word History and Origins

Origin of Salem¹

From Late Latin Salem, from Greek Salḗm, from Hebrew Shālēm, a name of uncertain origin and meaning, but traditionally interpreted as a synonym of Jerusalem and associated in meaning with shālōm “peace”; Jerusalem ( def. )

Example Sentences

Among her studio partners on “But What the Hell Do I Know” are the producers Stint and Tyler Cole and the songwriter Salem Ilese, the last known for her early TikTok hit “Mad at Disney.”

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“Typically, what goes down comes up,” says David Salem, a portfolio manager at Hedgeye Asset Management.

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"We wanted to fill the vacuum," says Yara Salem, an infrastructure specialist, formerly of the World Bank, with experience in conflict areas including post-war Iraq.

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Links between the infamous Suffolk witch trials in the 17th Century and those in Salem, in the US, are being explored in a new partnership between the two countries.

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Events such as the Salem Haunted Happenings run throughout the fall and include festivals, parades, street vendors, public activities and even appearances by the town’s resident witches of the modern age.

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