Wandering Jew

American  

noun

1. a legendary character condemned to roam without rest because he struck Christ on the day of the Crucifixion.

2. Also called inch plant.  Also wandering Jew, Wandering-jew any of various trailing or creeping plants, as Zebrina pendula or Tradescantia fluminensis, having green or variegated leaves: a popular houseplant.

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wandering Jew ¹ British  

noun

1. any of several related creeping or trailing plants of tropical America, esp Tradescantia fluminensis and Zebrina pendula: family Commelinaceae

2. a similar creeping plant of the genus Commelina

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Wandering Jew ² British  

noun

1. (in medieval legend) a character condemned to roam the world eternally because he mocked Christ on the day of the Crucifixion

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Etymology

Origin of Wandering Jew

First recorded in 1625–35

Example Sentences

But when we encounter this man in folklore, he’s known by another, more familiar name: the Wandering Jew.

From New York Times • Aug. 2, 2022

While Rohmer’s stories occasionally hint that Moris Klaw could be the Wandering Jew, Simon Ark actually appears to be centuries-old, a former Coptic priest who travels the world combating satanic evil.

From Washington Post • Dec. 8, 2020

Octave Édouard Jahyer’s 1856 wood engraving, after Gustave Doré, “The Legend of the Wandering Jew, 11” shows the accursed figure making his way through a world of slithering snakes and lizards.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2018

In "The Library of the Wandering Jew" he suggests that books are the compasses that guide us both in our self-discovery and in our exploration of the world.

From The Guardian • Apr. 30, 2010

Witness the prohibition, recently, in France, of the publication of the Wandering Jew.

From Popery! As it Was and as it Is Also, Auricular Confession; And Popish Nunneries by Hogan, William