Jew
[ joo ]
/ dʒu /
noun
one of a scattered group of people that traces its descent from the Biblical Hebrews or from postexilic adherents of Judaism; Israelite.
a person whose religion is Judaism.
a subject of the ancient kingdom of Judah.
adjective
Offensive.
of Jews; Jewish.
verb (used with object)
(lowercase) Offensive.
to bargain sharply with; beat down in price (often followed by down).
Origin of Jew
1125–75; Middle English
jewe, giu, gyu, ju < Old French
juiu, juieu, gyu < Late Latin
judēus, Latin
jūdaeus < Greek
ioudaîos < Aramaic
yehūdāi < Hebrew
Yəhūdhī, derivative of
Yəhūdhāh
Judah; replacing Old English
iūdēas Jews < Late Latin
jūdē(us) + Old English
-as plural ending
usage note for Jew
The adjectival use of
Jew, as in the phrase
Jew boy, is now perceived as insulting; the adjective
Jewish should be used instead. The verb
jew (down) is also perceived as offensive, because it perpetuates the stereotype of the shrewd Jewish moneylender or haggler. Originally, however, both the adjective and the verb were used in a neutral way by Jews and non-Jews.
OTHER WORDS FROM Jew
non-Jew, nounExample sentences from the Web for jews
British Dictionary definitions for jews
Jew
/ (dʒuː) /
noun
a member of the Semitic people who claim descent from the ancient Hebrew people of Israel, are spread throughout the world, and are linked by cultural or religious ties
a person whose religion is Judaism
Word Origin for Jew
C12: from Old French
juiu, from Latin
jūdaeus, from Greek
ioudaios, from Hebrew
yehūdī, from
yehūdāh
Judah
Cultural definitions for jews (1 of 2)
Jews
The Israelites, particularly after their return from captivity in Babylon (see also Babylon) about five hundred years before the birth of Jesus; at that time, the Israelites were established as a religious group, founded on the Mosaic law, not simply a national group.
notes for Jews
When the Jewish nation was destroyed by the
Romans in the year
a.d. 70 and the Jews were scattered throughout the world, their religious beliefs and customs allowed them to remain one people.