sandek

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/ˈsɑːndɛk//ˈsɑːndək//ˈsɑːndɪk/

noun

A person honoured at a Jewish brit milah by holding the baby boy in his lap as the mohel performs the circumcision.

OriginYiddish סנדק ← Hebrew סַנְדָּק ← Ancient Greek σύντεκνος →
Scrabble 11
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Meanings

nounsandek (plural sandeks)

plural sandeks · alternative sandak · alternative sandik · alternative sandok · alternative sanduk

  1. JudaismA person honoured at a Jewish brit milah by holding the baby boy in his lap as the mohel performs the circumcision.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekσύντεκνος
  2. Hebrewסַנְדָּק
  3. Yiddishסנדק
  4. Englishsandek

From Yiddish סנדק (sandek), from Hebrew סַנְדָּק (sandák), most likely from Ancient Greek σύντεκνος (súnteknos, literally “companion of child”), from συν- (sun-) + τέκνον (téknon).

More words from Yiddish, Hebrew, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

sandek. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sandek

MLA

“sandek.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sandek. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sandek,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sandek.

Source: sandek on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.