JEW Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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Jew

[ joo ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

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)

jew, Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. to bargain sharply with; beat down in price (often followed by down ).

Jew.

abbreviation for

Jewish.

Jew

/ ��ː /

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

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Sensitive Note

While both the adjective and the verb were once used in a neutral way by Jews and non-Jews, they are now considered problematic and offensive. The adjectival use of Jew, as in the phrase Jew boy, is perceived as insulting; the adjective Jewish should be used instead. The verb jew (down) is also perceived as offensive and antisemitic, because it perpetuates the stereotype of the shrewd Jewish moneylender or haggler.

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

�Դǲ�-�� noun

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of Jew¹

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English jewe, giu, gyu, ju, from Old French juiu, juieu, gyu, from Late Latin ��ܻ�ŧ�ܲ�, Latin ��ū�岹��ܲ�, from Greek ��ǳܻ岹î�ǲ�, from Aramaic ��ū��徱, from Hebrew ��ə��ū��ī, derivative of ��ə��ū�� Judah; replacing Old English ��ū��ŧ�� “Jews,” from Late Latin ��ū��ŧ(�ܲ�) + Old English -as, a plural ending

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of Jew¹

C12: from Old French juiu, from Latin ��ū�岹��ܲ�, from Greek ioudaios, from Hebrew ��ū��ī, from ��ū�� Judah

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

That love, though, was the obverse side of their hatred for Jews; one could not be without the other, because one enabled the other.

From

"Racial antisemitism is inciting a global war against the existence of the Jews as a race that poisons human societies," his own father had written in 1933, Netanyahu said.

From

Henley, in multiple wiretapped calls, allegedly recounted sending the co-conspirator to Minnesota to collect several hundred thousand dollars on behalf of someone he referred to as “Jew Boy.”

From

Jesse is particularly incensed by the antisemitic trope that sees Jews as “powerful, dominating and privileged” and therefore not worthy of the protections of other marginalized groups.

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Siegfried Merzbacher, it seems, had received a well-timed job transfer just as the persecution of Jews in Germany was reaching a crescendo.

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