tref

1 of 2

noun

ˈtrāv
plural trefi
-vē
: a homestead or hamlet under old Cymric law
usually : a group or area acting as a single community as regards cattle and plowing, constituting a taxable unit, and consisting typically of nine houses, one plow, one oven, one churn, one cat, one cock, and one herdsman

tref

2 of 2

adjective

ˈtrāf
variants or terefah or terefa
təˈrāfə
or trefah or trefa
ˈtrāfə
: ritually unclean or unfit according to Jewish law
opposed to kosher

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Welsh, town, home, dwelling place, tref; akin to Cornish tref, tre dwelling place, town, Breton trev division of a parish, Old English thorp village

Adjective

Yiddish & Hebrew; Yiddish treyf, treyfe, from Hebrew ṭĕrēphāh animal torn by wild beasts, torn flesh

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near tref

Cite this Entry

“Tref.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tref. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!