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yenta love

yenta

Definitions

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

  • noun A person, especially a woman, who is considered to be meddlesome or gossipy.

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

  • noun a woman who meddles in the business of others; a busybody; a woman gossip; a gossipmonger
  • noun a matchmaker; a woman who specializes in finding spouses.

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

  • noun (Yiddish) a woman who talks too much; a gossip unable to keep a secret; a woman who spreads rumors and scandal
  • noun (Yiddish) a vulgar shrew; a shallow coarse termagant

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Yiddish yente, back-formation from the woman's name Yente, alteration of Yentl, from Old Italian Gentile, from gentile, amiable, highborn, from Latin gentīlis, of the same clan; see gentle.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Yiddish.

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Examples

  • I've been called a yenta, matchmaker and people magnet.

    Forbes.com: News Marcia Brixey 2011

  • "Last time I spoke up I got called a yenta, at Crumbs no less."

    Brownstoner 2010

  • Last time I spoke up I got called a yenta, at Crumbs no less. omg11!

    Brownstoner 2010

  • The yenta is a mashup of the best qualities of not missing a trick and caring.

    Law And More 2008

  • The yenta is a mashup of the best qualities of not missing a trick and caring.

    Law And More 2008

  • The yenta is a mashup of the best qualities of not missing a trick and caring.

    Law And More 2008

  • (Is "yenta" one of those words Shakespeare made up?)

    Stanton Peele: Levi and Bristol, Modern-Day Romeo and Juliet? 2010

  • (Is "yenta" one of those words Shakespeare made up?)

    Stanton Peele: Levi and Bristol, Modern-Day Romeo and Juliet? 2010

  • Weiss said the "yenta" part of the Web site's name refers to the enormous amount of personal information that is shared and consumed on the site.

    J. Weekly 2009

  • At other points over the preceding few days, though, he fully lost it, denouncing the idea of appeasing the Democratic conference and publicly initiating a lusty exchange of insults with other officials, during which he was called a "yenta" and a plantation owner.

    Home | The New York Observer 2009

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