Jewish Word Glossary
Glossary Key
abbr. = abbreviated esp .= especially Heb. = Hebrew lit. = literally n = noun |
pl. = plural pron. = pronounced usu. = usually v = verb Yid. = Yiddish |
A |
B | C
| D |
E | F
| G |
H | I
| J | K |
L
M |
N | O
| P |
R | S
| T |
U | V
| W | X | Y
| Z
G
- gaon
- head of a Babylonian yeshiva; composer of the Talmud
- gabbai
- rabbi's synagogue assistant during prayer service
- gadol (hador)
- lit.=great person (of the generation): leader, esp. in religious sense
- Gallil
- lit= rolling: the northern, grassy, hilly part of Israel
- Galut
- lit.=exile: where the Diaspora lives
- "Gam ze ya'avor"
- lit.=also this will pass: "This, too, shall pass"
- "Gam zu l'tovah"
- lit.=also this for good: "Everything happens for the best"
- Gan Aiden
- The Garden of Eden
- ganev
- thief; clever person
- gan k’tanim
- lit.=garden of (the) small (ones): kindergarten
- gantze
- (Yid.) whole, entire
- gantze megilla
- (Yid.) the whole story
- gantze mishpocha
- (Yid.) the whole family
- gartl
- (Yid.) belt, sash (from same word as "girdle")
- g'dilah
- lit.=bigness: (Yid.) the "big deal"
- gebentched
- (Yid.) blessed
- gebrokts
- foods involving matzah or maztah meal mixed with liquid, esp, matzah balls, matzah brei, kreplach, and pastries
- gefelt
- (Yid.) pleasing
- gefilt croht
- stuffed cabbage
- gefilte fish
- fish cakes (originally stuffed in fish skin)
- gei avek
- lit.=go away: "Get out of here! Scram!"
- gei gezunterheit
- "Go in good health"
- "Gei feifen afen yam!"
- lit.=go whistle over [the] sea: "Go entertain someone else!"
- "Gei in dr'erd!"
- lit.=go in the earth: "Drop dead!"
- gelilah
- rolling and re-clothing of Torah scroll after hagbah
- gelt
- (Yid.) money, esp. as Chanukah gift
- Gemara
- commentary on the Mishna
- gematria
- Jewish numerology based on numerical value given to Hebrew letters
- gemilut chasadim
- acts of kindness
- genizah
- storage/burial for worn-out, but holy, papers, books, etc.
- "Genug (shoyn)!"
- (Yid.) "Enough (already)!"
- ger
- convert [n]
- geshmack
- lit.=(lip-)smacking: tasty
- gesheft
- (Yid.) business
- geshrai
- (Yid.) cry, shout, yell [n]
- get
- divorce document
- "Gevalt!"
- lit.=scream: "Oh, wow!"; "Oh, no!", "Help!"
- gevaltik
- powerful, worthy of a cry of "Oy, gevalt!"
- gezerah
- temporary rabbinic injunction or order, responding to a specific circumstance
- gezunt
- (Yid.) healthy
- gezunt-heit
- (Yid.) good health
- glatt
- lit.=smooth: highest level of fleishig kashrut
- glick
- (Yid.) good fortune
- glomp
- lit=cabbage stalk: (Yid.) useless one
- Goldena Medina
- lit.=Golden Country: the United States
- golem
- automaton; mindless one
- gomel
- one who has just undergone a dangerous experience
- gorgl
- (Yid.) neck
- gornisht
- (Yid.) nothing, emptiness
- "Gornisht helfen"
- lit=nothing helps: (Yid.) "Forget it.";"It's hopeless."
- "Gottenyu!"
- "Dear G-d!"
- grieven
- small, crunchy bits of fried chicken skin, eaten as a snack
- grogger
- Purim noisemaker
- groys
- (Yid.) large (but not necessarily disgusting)
- grubber yung
- lit=grubby youngster: ill-mannered adolescent, punk
- grushah
- divorcee (woman)
- "Gutteh voch"
- lit.=good week: (Yid.) "Have a nice week," a post-Havdalah greeting