dybbuk

noun

dyb·​buk ˈdi-bək How to pronounce dybbuk (audio)
plural dybbukim ˌdi-bu̇-ˈkēm How to pronounce dybbuk (audio) also dybbuks
: a wandering soul believed in Jewish folklore to enter and control a living body until exorcised by a religious rite

Examples of dybbuk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The family needed enough money to repair the havoc a dybbuk could wreak. — Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 1 July 2024 Whether or not the real dybbuk box is cursed is up for debate. — Megan McCluskey, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Yiddish dibek, from Late Hebrew dibbūq

First Known Use

circa 1903, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dybbuk was circa 1903

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“Dybbuk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dybbuk. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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