bat mitzvah
or bath mitz·vah, bas mitz·vah
[ baht mits-vuh, bahs; Sephardic Hebrew baht meets-vah; Ashkenazic Hebrew bahs mits-vuh ]
/ bɑt ˈmɪts və, bɑs; Sephardic Hebrew ˈbɑt mitsˈvɑ; Ashkenazic Hebrew bɑs ˈmɪts və /
noun (often initial capital letters)
a solemn ceremony, chiefly among Reform and Conservative Jews, that is held in the synagogue on Friday night or Saturday morning to admit formally as an adult member of the Jewish community a girl 12 to 13 years old.
the girl participating in this ceremony.
verb (used with object)
to administer the ceremony of bat mitzvah to.
Compare
bar mitzvah.
Origin of bat mitzvah
From the Hebrew word
bath miṣwāh literally, daughter of the divine law
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bat mitzvah
bar mitzvah bas mitzvah bat mitzvahWords nearby bat mitzvah
bat around,
bat boy,
bat chayil,
bat girl,
bat hayil,
bat mitzvah,
bat one thousand,
bat printing,
bat ray,
bat the breeze,
bat turn
British Dictionary definitions for bas mitzvah
Bat Mitzvah
/ (bɑːt ˈmɪtsvə) sometimes not capitals Judaism /
adjective
(of a Jewish girl) having attained religious majority at the age of twelve
noun
the date of, or, in some congregations, a ceremony marking, this event
the girl herself on that day
Also called (old-fashioned):
Bas Mitzvah
Word Origin for Bat Mitzvah
from Hebrew, literally: daughter of the commandment
Cultural definitions for bas mitzvah
bat mitzvah
[ (baht, bahs mits-vuh) ]
An important ceremony and social event in Judaism marking the beginning of religious responsibility for Jewish girls; it is the less frequently observed counterpart of the bar mitzvah. Bat mitzvah is Hebrew for “daughter of the commandment.”