Maccabees

[ mak-uh-beez ]

/ ˈmæk əˌbiz /

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noun

(used with a plural verb) the members of the Hasmonean family of Jewish leaders and rulers comprising the sons of Mattathias and their descendants and reigning in Judea from 167? to 37 b.c., especially Judas Maccabaeus and his brothers, who defeated the Syrians under Antiochus IV in 165? and rededicated the Temple in Jerusalem.

(used with a singular verb) either of two books of the Apocrypha, I Maccabees or II Maccabees, that contain the history of the Maccabees.

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Words nearby Maccabees

Macbeth, MacBride, Macc., Maccabaeus, Maccabean, Maccabees, maccaboy, maccaroni, maccheroncini, macchiato, Macclesfield

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Maccabees in a sentence

Upon entering Jerusalem, the Maccabees saw that there was only enough oil to light the Temple’s eternal flame for one night.
It doesn’t take a miracle|Ethan Felson|December 1, 2021|Washington Blade
The traditionalist Maccabees might have been victorious in 160 BCE, but for seven years afterwards the priesthood lay empty because they had no strong candidates who could play nice with foreign rulers.
Did Archaeologists Just Find Evidence of Hanukkah Stories?|Candida Moss|November 29, 2021|The Daily Beast
Have a happy Hannukah, but please remember: don't let the Maccabees win.
Don't Let the Maccabees Win|Matt Lerner|December 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
I promise you in the spirit of the Maccabees, we will not allow Iran to receive a military nuclear capability.
Benjamin Netanyahu Meets Pope Francis In Rome|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST

True, the Maccabees were defending the God of Torah and Law.
Christmas For Love, Chanukah For Awe|Bernard Avishai|December 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST
A truly original approach might be to portray the second-century B.C. Maccabees speaking like rappers.
Yo, Yo, Yo, It’s Chanukah: Hip-Hop Lights the Menorah|Eli Lake|December 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST
I put my heart and soul into my screenplay about the Maccabees for deeply personal reasons.
Joe Eszterhas on His Book, ‘Heaven and Mel,’ and His Mel Gibson Ordeal|Joe Eszterhas|June 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Respecting the origin of this sect nothing certain is known, beyond that they were in existence at the time of the Maccabees.
Ancient Faiths And Modern|Thomas Inman
Then they were crushed by the wars which are explained in the books of the Maccabees.
The City of God, Volume II|Aurelius Augustine
And it is mentioned by the author of the book of Maccabees, that the Jews, upon a solemn occasion, entered the temple.
A New System; or, an Analysis of Antient Mythology. Volume II. (of VI.)|Jacob Bryant
The result was the glorious revolt of the Jews under Mattathias and his sons—the family of the Maccabees.
A Brief Bible History|James Oscar Boyd
But the question that concerns us most is, whether the writer of First Maccabees actually reckoned by Macedonian months?
The Book of Daniel Unlocked|W. S. Auchincloss

British Dictionary definitions for Maccabees

Maccabees

/ (ˈmækəˌbiːz) /

noun

a Jewish family of patriots who freed Judaea from Seleucid oppression (168–142 bc)

any of four books of Jewish history, including the last two of the Apocrypha

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Maccabees

Maccabees

[ (mak-uh-beez) ]

According to two books of the Apocrypha, a family of Jewish patriots active in the liberation of Judea from Syrian rule. The Maccabees established a line of priest-kings that lasted until the rule of Herod the Great.