Meanings
- JudaismThe son of Yitzhak and Rivka, twin brother of Esav, and patriarch of the Jews.
In contrast, Yaakov is associated with the month of Elul, a month characterized by contemplation, in which we, Yaakov’s children, consider our own needed transformation.
2019 September 10, Rachel Timoner, “Book Review: Textual Activism by Rabbi Mike Moskowitz”, in Tikkun, archived from the original on 16 Jan 2021Synonyms: Jacob
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounThe son of Yitzhak and Rivka, twin brother of Esav, and patriarch of the Jews.
Origin
- Biblical Hebrewיַעֲקֹב
- EnglishYaakov
From Biblical Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (yaʿăqōḇ, literally “May He Heel”), from the third-person singular masculine imperfective form of the Semitic verb "to heel" (with various meanings), in turn from עָקֵב (ʿāqēḇ, “heel of the foot”). Doublet of Jacob and James.
More words from Biblical Hebrew
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
Yaakov. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Yaakov
“Yaakov.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Yaakov. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Yaakov,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Yaakov.
Source: Yaakov on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.