Joseph

• Jos.

From Middle English Ioseph, ultimately from Biblical Hebrew יוֹסֵף (Yoséf, literally “(God) shall add”); a son of Jacob.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒəʊzɪf/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• (US) enPR: jō'səf, jō'zəf, IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒoʊsəf/, /ˈd͡ʒoʊzəf/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• Rhymes: (US) -oʊsəf

Joseph (countable and uncountable, plural Josephs)

1. (biblical) Eleventh and favorite son of Jacob, by his wife Rachel.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 37:3:

     Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.

   • 1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter 2, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC:

     A few shocks of corn in a corner of the fallow stood up as if alive; she imagined them bowing; perhaps her son would be a Joseph.

2. The husband of Virgin Mary.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 3:23:

     And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli.

3. The 12th sura (chapter) of the Qur'an.
4. (Christianity) Joseph of Arimathea; man who donated his own prepared tomb for the burial of Jesus.
5. A male given name from Hebrew
   • 1998, Steven Herrick, A Place Like This, Univ. of Queensland Press, →ISBN, page 86:

     I'm going to call him Joseph / or Josephine if it's a girl. / Why? / Because it's a strong name, / Joe, Joseph. / You give a kid a name like Cameron / or Alfred, or something like that, / and they end up wearing glasses / and looking at computers for the rest of their life. / - - - So Joe it is. / He'll turn out strong. Strong and smart.

6. A surname
   1. An English surname originating as a patronymic.
   2. A French surname originating as a patronymic.
7. A locale in the United States.
   1. A city in Oregon; named for Nez Perce chief Hinmatóowyalahtq̓it (called "Chief Joseph" in English).
   2. A town in Utah; named for Mormon apostle Joseph Angell Young.
   3. A ghost town in Idaho; named for Hinmatóowyalahtq̓it (Chief Joseph).

• (diminutives): Joe, Joey, Jo
• (feminine equivalent): Josephine
• (English surname): Josephs, Josephson
• Jos.

• → Maori: Hohepa

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Joseph is the 313^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 100,959 individuals. Joseph is most common among Black (54.2%) individuals.

Joseph (plural Josephs)

1. One whose chastity is above temptation (from the story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife in Genesis xxxix).
   • 1977, Buzzcocks, Orgasm Addict:

     You're a kid Casanova, you're no Joseph
     It's a labor of love fucking yourself to death
     Orgasm addict, you're an orgasm addict

• Joseph (Hebrew Bible) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Saint Joseph on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Joseph of Arimathea on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

From English Joseph, from Old Testament Hebrew יוֹסֵף (Yoséf).

Joseph

1. a male given name from English [in turn from Hebrew]

For quotations using this term, see Citations:Joseph.

• IPA^(key): /ʒo.zɛf/

• Audio

  (file)

Joseph m

1. Joseph (biblical figure)
2. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Joseph

• Jésus, Marie, Joseph
• Josèphe (feminine form)
• Joséphine (diminutive of Josèphe)

• Audio

  (file)

Joseph m (proper noun, strong, genitive Josephs)

1. Alternative spelling of Josef

• Josee

Joseph m

1. a male given name