ESTHER

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does Esther mean? 

• ESTHER (noun)
  The noun ESTHER has 2 senses:

1. (Old Testament) a beautiful Jewess chosen by the king of Persia to be his queen; she stopped a plot to massacre all the Jews in Persia (an event celebrated by Jews as the feast of Purim)

2. an Old Testament book telling of a beautiful Jewess who became queen of Persia and saved her people from massacre

  Familiarity information: ESTHER used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ESTHER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(Old Testament) a beautiful Jewess chosen by the king of Persia to be his queen; she stopped a plot to massacre all the Jews in Persia (an event celebrated by Jews as the feast of Purim)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Instance hypernyms:

Jewess (a woman who is a Jew)

queen (the wife or widow of a king)

Domain category:

Old Testament (the collection of books comprising the sacred scripture of the Hebrews and recording their history as the chosen people; the first half of the Christian Bible)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An Old Testament book telling of a beautiful Jewess who became queen of Persia and saved her people from massacre

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

Book of Esther; Esther

Instance hypernyms:

book (a major division of a long written composition)

Holonyms ("Esther" is a part of...):

Old Testament (the collection of books comprising the sacred scripture of the Hebrews and recording their history as the chosen people; the first half of the Christian Bible)

Hagiographa; Ketubim; Writings (the third of three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures)

 Context examples 

If it had not been for Laurie, and old Esther, the maid, she felt that she never could have got through that dreadful time.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

"To you and your sisters. I know it, Madame confides in me. I witnessed her will, and it is to be so," whispered Esther smiling.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Esther fitted up the closet with a little table, placed a footstool before it, and over it a picture taken from one of the shut-up rooms.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Esther had given her a rosary of black beads with a silver cross, but Amy hung it up and did not use it, feeling doubtful as to its fitness for Protestant prayers.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

You seem to take a great deal of comfort in your prayers, Esther, and always come down looking quiet and satisfied.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Esther was truly pious, and quite sincere in her advice, for she had an affectionate heart, and felt much for the sisters in their anxiety.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Esther was a Frenchwoman, who had lived with 'Madame', as she called her mistress, for many years, and who rather tyrannized over the old lady, who could not get along without her.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

"Which would Mademoiselle choose if she had her will?" asked Esther, who always sat near to watch over and lock up the valuables.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

"Pretty well, thanks to Aunt March, who lets Esther talk to me as often as I like," replied Amy, with a grateful look, which caused the old lady to smile affably.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The cook was bad-tempered, the old coachman was deaf, and Esther the only one who ever took any notice of the young lady.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)