Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • In the Bible, the wife of Uriah and later of David. Her second son by David was Solomon.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • proper noun The wife of Uriah and later of David.
  • proper noun rather rare A female given name of biblical origin.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun (Old Testament) the wife of Uriah and later the wife of king David; Solomon was her son by David (circa 10th century BC)

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Hebrew בַּת (bát, “daughter [of]”) +‎ שֶׁבַע (shéva, “seven”).

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Examples

  • The light of Troy's lantern in the churchyard was noticed about ten o'clock by the maid-servant, who casually glanced from the window in that direction whilst taking her supper, and she called Bathsheba's attention to it.

    Far from the Madding Crowd 1874

  • Even my mother, who was the inverse of her late husband when it came to Shani and me—wanting me to have a Jewish bride if I had to have a bride at all, someone called Bathsheba or Hepzibah at the very least, and with a complexion to match the Arabian silkiness of her name, but not caring who Shani took up with provided he treated her well—even my mother drew the line at a Mick.

    Kalooki Nights Howard Jacobson 2006

  • For the past week such an appeal had been fastened to the post outside number 62 and it was still there, though the missing animal, a spiteful Persian kitten called Bathsheba, had returned home two days before.

    Portobello Ruth Rendell 2010

  • The light of Troy’s lantern in the churchyard was noticed about ten o’clock by the maid-servant, who casually glanced from the window in that direction whilst taking her supper, and she called Bathsheba’s attention to it.

    Far from the Madding Crowd 1874

  • In fact, the first time in the almost year and a half now of the bloody confrontation between the Palestinians and the Israelis that has happened here in the town of Bathsheba, which is possibly as remote as you can get.

    CNN Transcript Feb 10, 2002 2002

  • At evening he had fancifully traced it down the chimney to the spot of its origin -- seen the hearth and Bathsheba beside it -- beside it in her out-door dress; for the clothes she had worn on the hill were by association equally with her person included in the compass of his affection; they seemed at this early time of his love a necessary ingredient of the sweet mixture called Bathsheba Everdene.

    Far from the Madding Crowd 1874

  • At evening he had fancifully traced it down the chimney to the spot of its origin — seen the hearth and Bathsheba beside it — beside it in her out-door dress; for the clothes she had worn on the hill were by association equally with her person included in the compass of his affection; they seemed at this early time of his love a necessary ingredient of the sweet mixture called Bathsheba Everdene.

    Far from the Madding Crowd 1874

  • Gloss: Besides, he does not name Bathsheba, that, by naming Urias, he may recall to memory that great wickedness which she was guilty of towards him.

    Catena Aurea - Gospel of Matthew 1225?-1274 1842

  • When Nathan had said thus, the king commanded that they should call Bathsheba to him, for she had gone out of the room when the prophet came.

    Antiquities of the Jews Flavius Josephus 1709

  • David and Bathsheba, which is dated 1534, is an important and unusually grand treatment of theme by the artist and is priced at over € 5 million.

    unknown title 2009

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