bris

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Pronunciations

bris (BRIHS) listen
brit (BREET) listen
brit (BRIHT) listen

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Definitions

  • n. Circumcision ceremony; the celebration surrounding it.

  • n. Covenant, agreement.

Example Sentences

  • "We perform a bris eight days after a baby boy is born."

  • "Once everyone arrived, Gesher campers met by tzrif (cabin) to make a brit (covenant) with the goal of creating a warm and inclusive environment." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • Heb ברית brit, lit. 'covenant', Yiddish (Ashkenazi Heb) ברית bris

      • Who Uses This

      • Jews: Jews of diverse religious backgrounds and organizational involvements
      • 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]).
      • 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

      brith, b'rit, brit, berit

Notes

  • Shortened form of brit milá / bris míle (ברית מילה), mila referring to the act of circumcision. This word has multiple plurals: brisn / brisin / brisen (from Yiddish), brisim (from Ashkenazi Hebrew), britot (from Modern Hebrew), and brises (from English).

    See also: milah and brit milah.

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