Abraham
Etymology

From Middle English Abraham, from Old English Abraham, from Late Latin Ābrahām, from Ancient Greek Ἀβρᾱᾱ́μ, from Hebrew אַבְרָהָם.

Pronunciation
  • (RP) IPA: /ˈeɪ.bɹə.hæm/, /ˈeɪ.bɹə.həm/
  • (America) IPA: /ˈeɪ.bɹəˌhæm/, /ˈeɪ.bɹə.həm/
  • (poetic) IPA: /ˈeɪ.bɹæm/
Proper noun
  1. (Abrahamism) A prophet in the Old Testament, Qur'an and Aqdas; a Semitic patriarch son of Terah who practiced monotheism, father of the Jewish patriarch Isaac by Sarah and the Arab patriarch Ishmael by Hagar. [First attested prior to 1150.]
    Synonyms: Abram, Ibrahim
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Genesis 17:5 ↗, column 2:
      Neither ſhall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name ſhall bee Abraham: for a father of many nations haue I made thee.
  2. A male given name. [First attested prior to 1150.]
    • 1961, Kurt Vonnegut, Mother Night, Dell, published 1975, page 28:
      "Lincoln wasn't a Jew, was he?" he said. "I'm sure not," I said. […] "The name Abraham is very suspicious, to say the least," said Goebbels. "I'm sure his parents didn't realize that it was a Jewish name," I said. "They must have just liked the sound of it. They were simple frontier people. If they'd known the name was Jewish, I'm sure they would have called him something more American, like George or Stanley or Fred."
  3. Surname. [First attested prior to 1150.]
  4. The 14th sura (chapter) of the Qur'an.
Related terms Translations Translations Translations Translations Noun

Abraham (plural Abrahams)

  1. (archaic, British slang, chiefly London) A shop selling cheap and low-quality clothes, especially in the East End of London.
    Synonyms: slopshop



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