Meaning & use
bris
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Meaning
nouncountablereligion
A Jewish religious ceremony in which a baby boy is circumcised, usually on the eighth day after birth.
Grammar: Countable: 'a bris', 'two brises'. Also written 'brit' or 'bris milah' in some communities.
Patterns
- a bris
- at a bris
- the bris ceremony
The family invited close friends to the bris of their newborn son.
A bris is usually held on the eighth day of the baby's life.
The rabbi explained the meaning of the bris to the guests.
Word forms
| plural | brises |
|---|
Common combinations
- hold a bris
- They held a bris at home with only family present.
- attend a bris
- He flew across the country to attend his nephew's bris.
- bris ceremony
- The bris ceremony includes prayers and a festive meal.
Synonyms and how they differ
- brit milah
- The fuller Hebrew term for the same ceremony; 'bris' is the common Yiddish-influenced short form.
- circumcision
- The medical term for the operation itself; 'bris' refers specifically to the religious ceremony.
Commonly confused: bris or breeze?
bris vs breeze
Sounds similar but means a light wind; 'bris' is a religious ceremony.
Practice
In Jewish tradition, a bris is usually performed on the ______ day after a boy is born.
Choose one answer.
A bris is traditionally held on the eighth day after birth. The other numbers are not part of the custom.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bris”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.