tohu vavohu

Edit

Pronunciations

tohu vavohu (TOH-hoo vah-VOH-hoo) listen

Record a Pronunciation

Definitions

  • n. The state of shapeless and formless primordial chaos that the universe was in (according to the Torah) before God created the world.

Example Sentences

  • "A society in which words are stripped of their meaning is a society that has reintroduced tohu va’vohu into the world." (source)

Record a Sentence

Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew

Etymology

  • תוהו ובוהו / תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ 'lit. nothingness and void'

      • Who Uses This

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

      Regions

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

      Dictionaries

      • None

      Alternative Spellings

      tohu va'vohu

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