English vocabulary · C2
Shibboleth
/ˈʃɪbələθ/ · n.
It means a traditional password or a specific custom that distinguishes one group of people from another.
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Example sentences
- The simple handshake served as a shibboleth for the secret society.
- They used a specific shibboleth to identify members in the foreign city.
Word origin and roots
- shibboleth — stream or ear of corn (from Hebrew)
Synonyms and nuances
- test (used to identify who truly belongs)
- custom (a practice marks group membership)
- watchword (a phrase signals belonging)
Lesson notes
Shibboleth. It means a traditional password or a specific custom that distinguishes one group of people from another.
Similar words are test, custom, and watchword. Use Shibboleth when life or death depends on a specific word.
The simple handshake served as a shibboleth for the secret society. They used a specific shibboleth to identify members in the foreign city.
Shibboleth means a stream or ear of corn. Today, a shibboleth is a special word or a specific habit. That special thing separates us from them. This separates us.