shiksa
or shik·se
[ shik-suh ]
/ ˈʃɪk sə /
noun Yiddish: Often Disparaging.
a term used especially by a Jew to refer to a girl or woman who is not Jewish.
a term used especially by a Jew to refer to a Jewish girl or woman whose attitudes, behavior, or appearance are felt to resemble those of a gentile.
a term used by an observant Jew to refer to a Jewish woman who is not religious or is ignorant of Judaism.
Compare
shegetz.
usage note for shiksa
This term is often used with disparaging intent, especially when a Jew is implying that the gentile woman is an outsider, not “one of our own.” On the other hand, use of the term in positive contexts such as
blonde shiksa goddess can reflect a negative view of Jewish women as unattractive, even though these beautiful shiksas may be luring Jewish men away from their religion. To counter this view of the gentile woman as seductive temptress,
shiksa is used by some non-Jewish women as a positive term of self-reference.
Words nearby shiksa
Example sentences from the Web for shiksa
Of course, Jewish mothers worry endlessly about their sons falling prey to the seductive powers of the shiksa.
British Dictionary definitions for shiksa
shiksa
/ (ˈʃɪksə) /
noun often derogatory (used by Jews)
a non-Jewish girl
a Jewish girl who fails to live up to traditional Jewish standards
Word Origin for shiksa
Yiddish
shikse, feminine of
sheygets non-Jewish youth, from Hebrew
sheqes defect