yosem

Definitions

• n. Orphan.
  

Example Sentences

• "It was hard for them to find money for the wedding since the groom is a yosem."
  

Languages of Origin

• Textual Hebrew
• Yiddish

Etymology

• Heb יתום yatóm, Yiddish יתום yósem 'orphan' (used for one who has lost one parent, not necessarily both)
  

Who Uses This

• Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)

Regions

• North America

Dictionaries

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

Alternative Spellings

yetom