payos

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Pronunciations

payis (PAY-is) listen
payot (pay-OT) listen

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Definitions

  • n. Sidelocks, sidecurls, or earlocks, common among Haredi boys and men.

Example Sentences

  • "It is customary for Chasidic Jews to allow their peyus to grow out."

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • פאות pe'ot / peyes 'corners'

      • Who Uses This

      • Jews: Jews of diverse religious backgrounds and organizational involvements

      Regions

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

      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).
      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).
      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).
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      Alternative Spellings

      payess, peot, payot, peyos, payus, peyus

Notes

  • Singular pe'a, plural pe'ot (Modern Hebrew pronunciation) or peyos (Ashkenazic pronunciation). The prohibition against shaving the side of the man's head derives from Leviticus 19:27. Also refers to the corners of a field, which should be left for the poor to glean.

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