Esther

[ es-ter ]

noun

1. the wife of Ahasuerus.
2. a book of the Bible bearing her name. : Esth.
3. a number of prayers, visions, interpretations of dreams, etc., that are included in the Douay Bible as chapters 10–16.
4. a female given name.

Esther

/ ˈɛstə /

noun

1. a beautiful Jewish woman who became queen of Persia and saved her people from massacre
2. the book in which this episode is recounted

Esther

1. A book of the Old Testament that tells the story of a beautiful Jewish woman named Esther who is chosen by the king of Persia (now Iran ; see Persian Empire ) to be his queen. Esther, with the aid of her cousin Mordecai, stops a plot to massacre the Jews (see also Jews ) in Persia, and Mordecai becomes the king's chief minister.

Notes

This event is celebrated by Jews as the feast of Purim .

Word History and Origins

Origin of Esther¹

First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin Hester, from Greek Esthēr, from Hebrew Estēr; further origin uncertain; possibly from Persian sitareh, setāre “star, fate”; possibly from Akkadian Ishtar; Aphrodite ( def ), Ishtar ( def ), star ( def )

Example Sentences

Instead, he asked Esther and her colleagues to make shirts for the soldiers.

From Time

As the third of Edwards’s 11 children, Esther was hailed as a “great beauty”—the so-called “flower of her family”—though her allure extended well beyond the cosmetic.

From Time

“Congratulations to Prince and Esther, two talented young journalists who will gain valuable work experience this summer while telling the important stories of our community,” said Blade Foundation Executive Director Kevin Naff.

From Washington Blade

Esther’s mother had told her that if she learned shorthand, “she would be in demand among all the up-and-coming young men and she would transcribe letter after thrilling letter.”

From Washington Post

Esther, who lives just outside Houston, is a single mother of a newborn barely a week old.

From Time

In her struggle to find her daughter, Esther becomes one of the founders of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo.

From The Daily Beast

Esther Choi of Mokbar said she has made Korean potato pancakes called gam ja jun, and Charles Rodriguez of PRINT.

From The Daily Beast

The name Easter may, or may not, be derived from the Sumerian goddess Inanna, or Ishtar—the source of the Hebrew name Esther.

From The Daily Beast

I started to think of these sections in part as being the interior place where the characters of Jane and Esther perhaps overlap.

From The Daily Beast

Esther Williams, 91 From 1945-49 a Williams film was one of the top 20 box office grossers each year—clearly, swimming sells.

From The Daily Beast

Her lover installed her in an elegant apartment on rue Taitbout, where Esther Gobseck afterwards lived.

From Project Gutenberg

Was Esther left alone, or had some new protector made his appearance from among the millions of Europe?

From Project Gutenberg

Then, as though this was the end of what she could endure in the way of joy, Esther turned and ran out of the room.

From Project Gutenberg

The Admiral was in the chimney-corner, once more ‘sirrupping’ some brandy and water, and Esther sat at the table at work.

From Project Gutenberg

Had he done so, of course Dick could have taken to his heels, and warned Esther of what was coming, and of how it had begun.

From Project Gutenberg