Sabra definition
A native-born Israeli Jew.
noun
A native-born Israeli Jew.
noun
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Other Word Forms
Noun
Singular:
sabra
Plural:
sabrasOrigin of sabra
- Perhaps Yiddish sabre member of the first group of Jewish immigrants to arrive in Palestine beginning in the 19th century, descendant of this group probably from Palestinian Arabic ṭab(i)ra prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica, which thrives in the drier parts of the Levant) singulative of ṭab(i)r prickly pear (also the source of Modern Israeli Hebrew ṭābār prickly pear, sabra) akin to Arabic ṭabir, ṭabr aloe ṭbr in Semitic roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition