daven

Edit

Pronunciations

daven (DAH-ven) listen
daven (DAH-ven) listen

Record a Pronunciation

Definitions

  • v. To pray.

  • v. To lead prayer services.

Example Sentences

  • "I need to daven before leaving for class."

    Listen to recordings of this sentence: ( Recording 1)

  • "Who's davening musaf tomorrow?"

    Listen to recordings of this sentence: ( Recording 1)

  • "Who's going to daven for the amud?"

Record a Sentence

Languages of Origin

  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • דאַװ(ע)נען dav(e)nen, 'to pray' (used only in Jewish contexts; verbal stem is דאַװן davn)

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education

      Regions

      • North America
      • Australia / New Zealand
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa

      Dictionaries

      • The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).
      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).

      Alternative Spellings

      davven, daaven, dahven

Edit     Something missing from this entry? Inaccurate? Feel free to suggest an edit.