Reuben

American  

[roo-buhn] / ˈru bən /

noun

1. the eldest son of Jacob and Leah. Genesis 29, 30.

2. one of the 12 tribes of Israel, the tribe traditionally descended from him.

3. Reuben sandwich.

4. a male given name.

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Reuben British  

/ ˈruːbɪn /

noun

1. the eldest son of Jacob and Leah: one of the 12 patriarchs of Israel (Genesis 29:30)

2. the Israelite tribe descended from him

3. the territory of this tribe, lying to the northeast of the Dead Sea

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Etymology

Origin of Reuben

From Late Latin Ruben, from Greek Rhoubḗn, from Hebrew Rĕʾūbhēn, of uncertain origin, but traditionally translated as “Behold, a son!” and associated with Rāʾāh bĕʿōnī “He (God) has looked upon my affliction” (by granting Leah a son)

Example Sentences

"It helped the story to see an emaciated body. With Reuben, I just wanted to feel the character in the body and feel physically imposing opposite Jamie."

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

Adams received the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Award, the industry’s highest honor, in 1997.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 13, 2026

The teenagers, Asher and Reuben, embrace Sam Simmonds with a big hug, as the emotional moment is captured by the BBC.

From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025

Five years later, Mr. Lloyd recorded a version for “Mirror,” with a wonderful quartet including Mr. Harland, pianist Jason Moran and bassist Reuben Rogers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 2025

And then, just when Natalie thought things couldn’t get any worse, when she thought Reuben had done everything to her he possibly could, Natalie felt water drip onto her face and looked up.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz