Yiddish

[ yid-ish ]

/ ˈyɪd ɪʃ /

noun

a Germanic language of Ashkenazi Jews, based on Middle High German dialects with an admixture of vocabulary from Hebrew, Aramaic, the Slavic languages, and Old French and Old Italian, written in Hebrew letters, and spoken mainly in eastern and central Europe and by Jewish emigrants from these regions and their descendants.

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of Yiddish.

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You may have read the word "simmer" in a recipe or two, but what does it really mean?

To cook in water that begins cold and then reaches a boil.

To stew in a sauce for a long time.

To cook in water, just below boiling temperature.

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Origin of Yiddish

First recorded in 1885–90; from Yiddish yidish; see yid, -ish¹

Words nearby Yiddish

yi, Yibin, Yichang, yid, yidaki, Yiddish, Yiddisher, Yiddishism, Yiddishkeit, yield, yieldability

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for Yiddish

In the midst of the clubbiness, there is a heimishe (Yiddish for familiar, old school) quality.
The Craziest Date Night for Single Jews, Where Mistletoe Is Ditched for Shots|Emily Shire|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In Paris, a new generation of entrepreneurs are launching initiatives to perpetuate the Yiddish way of life.
Paris's Nouveau Yiddish Culture|Laurent David Samama|September 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Take, for instance, Yiddish Mamma, a young Parisian brand that peddles its wares with love and humour.
Paris's Nouveau Yiddish Culture|Laurent David Samama|September 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They go to schools where they are taught only in Yiddish and only about Jewish subjects.
Why Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Babies Keep Getting Herpes|Emily Shire|July 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Well, the joke was, I discovered finally, that A sounds like ei in Yiddish.
Mel Brooks Is Always Funny and Often Wise in This 1975 Playboy Interview|Alex Belth|February 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I could read while daylight lasted, if I chose, in the Yiddish.
The Promised Land|Mary Antin
Once it was in Yiddish, and as far as spirit goes it remains there.
Pieces of Hate|Heywood Broun
The mere danger of slipping back unconsciously to the banned Yiddish put a curb upon her tongue.
Ghetto Comedies|Israel Zangwill
Since then there has been, in his opinion, a decadence which began with the translation of the classics into Yiddish.
The Spirit of the Ghetto|Hutchins Hapgood
Stolar, which is a Yiddish word borrowed from the Russian, signifying carpenter, is often changed to Carpenter.
The American Language|Henry L. Mencken

British Dictionary definitions for Yiddish

Yiddish

/ (ˈjɪdɪʃ) /

noun

a language spoken as a vernacular by Jews in Europe and elsewhere by Jewish emigrants, usually written in the Hebrew alphabet. Historically, it is a dialect of High German with an admixture of words of Hebrew, Romance, and Slavonic origin, developed in central and E Europe during the Middle Ages

adjective

in or relating to this language

Word Origin for Yiddish

C19: from German jüdisch, from Jude Jew

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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Yiddish

noun

adjective

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Origin of Yiddish

Words nearby Yiddish

Example sentences from the Web for Yiddish

British Dictionary definitions for Yiddish

noun

adjective

Word Origin for Yiddish