This week’s theme
Words borrowed from Hebrew

This week’s words
mitzvah
cherub
tzedakah
shekel
sabbath

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(CHER-uhb)

MEANING:

noun: A person, especially a child, with a sweet innocent appearance.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin cherubim, from Greek kheroubin, from Hebrew kerubim. Ultimately from the Semitic root krb (to praise). Earliest documented use: 825.

NOTES:

The plural is cherubs or cherubim. Cherubim are the second highest order of angels. Do you know your angelology? I know what you are thinking, what’s angelology? They don’t teach important stuff in schools these days. We are always ready to give you practical knowledge to succeed in the modern world. Angelology is the branch of theology concerning the study of angels. Angels have their own celestial hierarchy (and you thought they were above this) with nine levels that go, from lowest to highest: Best to memorize the order -- never know where it might come in handy. Also, if you are in the market for a guardian angel, well, why go for the lowest order? We suggest getting a guardian seraph instead.

USAGE:

“Can a baby be born bad? Or does poor parenting explain why the cherub has grown up to become a psychopath?”
Medical Diagnosis of Malfeasance; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 2, 2011.

See more usage examples of cherub in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: