Pronunciations

Definitions

• n. A female head of household.
  

• n. An impressively competent homemaker.
  

Example Sentences

Languages of Origin

• Textual Hebrew
• Yiddish

Etymology

• Y בעל־הביתטע bal(e)boste, from TH בעל־הבית ba'al habayit 'owner/master of the house' with Yiddish feminine suffix ־טע '-te'
  

Who Uses This

• Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)
• Older: Jews who are middle-aged and older
• Ashkenazim: Jews with Ashkenazi heritage

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]).
• Yiddish and English: A Century of Yiddish in America, by Sol Steinmetz (Tuscaloosa, 1986).
• 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).
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Alternative Spellings

balabooste, bala booste, bala boosta, balabuste, balebosta, baleboste, balabusta, balebuste, baleboosteh, Bala baya, Balabaya, balabuster, ballabuster