judas

plural judases

1. Alternative letter-case form of Judas (“traitor”).

   There is no better example of such a phenomenon as the infamous moment when Bob Dylan was proclaimed a ‘judas’ for going electric.

   2023, Richard Perks, John McGrath, editors, 21st Century Guitar: Evolutions and Augmentations, Bloomsbury, →ISBN, page 192

2. Alternative letter-case form of Judas (“Judas-hole”).

   Soon he heard a soft grating behind the judas, and he felt—more than he saw—that a pair of eyes were peering at him from within.

   1913, Baroness Orczy, chapter 27, in The Laughing Cavalier

alternative archaic Iudas · alternative judas

1. biblicalJudas Iscariot, one of the twelve original Apostles of Jesus, known for his role in Jesus' betrayal into the hands of Roman authorities.
2. A male given name from Hebrew.
3. alternativearchaicbiblicalAlternative form of Jude, the penultimate book of the Bible and its ascribed author, Jude the Apostle (Judas Thaddaeus).

   The Catholique (or General) Epistle of the Apostle JUDAS

   1675, Francis Roberts, Clavis Bibliorum: The Key of the Bible […] , page 573

   2 more examples

   […] you should as well reject those Deuterocanonici of the new testament as the epistle to the Hebrewes, Judas epistle and the Apocalyps […]

   1615, John Ainsworth, The Trying Out of the Truth […] , page 122

   St. Peter writes against those that had the doctrine of Balaam, 2 Pet. ii. 15, 16. St. Judas did the same, Jud. v. 11.

   1778, John James Bachmair, The Revelation of St. John Historically Explained […] , page 11

plural Judases · alternative archaic Iudas · alternative judas

1. A traitor; a person not to be trusted.

   If there was a moment when Jack Dorsey first morphed from Jesus to Judas in the minds of many former Twitter staffers, it was when he described Elon Musk as the “singular solution” to take over the social media platform he co-founded.

   2023 May 6, Hannah Murphy, “Twitter’s co-founder moves against Musk”, in FT Weekend, London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 9

2. abbreviationellipsisEllipsis of Judas-hole (“small hole for spying”).

   At the top of the stairs was a heavy door with a peephole. Flick banged on it and stood where her face could be seen through the judas.

   2001, Ken Follett, Jackdaws, Dutton, →ISBN, page 359

   1 more example

   The door was slammed in his face, and the Judas clicked shut, leaving him alone in the draughty street, now smelling of night and approaching snow.

   1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance (Avignon Quintet), Faber & Faber, published 2004, page 706

alternative archaic Iudas · alternative judas

1. archaicminced oathJesus! (an exclamation used to express shock or surprise at something negative)