noun
Cohen
KOH-uhn
noun
1
In Judaism, a member of the hereditary priestly class said to descend directly from Aaron, brother of Moses.
"As a cohen, he was called first to read from the Torah."
"Traditionally, a cohen observes special rules around contact with the dead."
How to Use Cohen
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA Jewish priestly title, and also a very common Jewish surname derived from it.
Word Forms
Cohens plural, cohens plural, cohanim plural
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Etymology
From Hebrew כֹּהֵן (kohen), meaning "priest." It later became one of the most common Jewish surnames.