halacha

Alternative Spellings

halocho, halakha

Definitions

• "Jewish law" (JPS)

Example Sentences

• "According to halachah, one can't eat chicken and milk together."

Languages of Origin

Textual Hebrew, Yiddish

Etymology

Heb הלכה halakhá, Yiddish/Ashkenazi Heb הלכה halókhe

Who Uses This

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

Regions

North America

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).

Notes

a common word is the adjective form, halachic / halakhic / halakhik.