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Glite Dictionary
sabra

sabra

2 9.3
A person born in Israel, often to immigrant parents, who shows toughness and a strong connection to Israeli culture
  • noun
  • /ˈsɑːbrə/
: sabra
  • You're a sabra.

Examples

  • Benjamin Netanyahu had been born a third-generation Sabra and partly educated in the United States.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Mr. Oz was a sabra, a native-born Israeli, who grew up in Jerusalem during its early years.

  • I was a sabra, the pride of the family.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • The first sabra in the family.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • - I am a sabra.

    Munich (2005)

  • What is it you want, sabra?

    Cimarron (1960)

  • You're a nice sabra... with a dog and a baby on the way.

    Munich (2005)

  • Please, sabra, don't ask for trouble.

    Cimarron (1960)

  • Your wife and daughter are sabras.

    Munich (2005)

  • You're a sabra, tough and resilient, just like many native-born Israelis.

Synonyms

Israeli
vssabra
372 2.8

A person from Israel

is narrower, meaning someone born there and seen as tough or resilient

Surface Forms

sabra singular
sabras plural

Etymology

Sabra comes from the Hebrew word tzabar, meaning 'prickly pear' or 'cactus', and the plant is rough and spiky on the outside but soft inside. So a sabra is a native-born Israeli who may seem tough or sharp on the outside but is warm and caring inside.