challah

noun

chal·lah ˈḵä-lə

ˈhä-

variants or less commonly challa or hallah

plural challoth or challot ˈḵä-ˌlōt

-ˌlōth,

-ˌlōs,

ˈhä-

or challahs also challas ˈḵä-ləz

ˈhä-

or halloth or hallot ˈḵä-ˌlōt

-ˌlōth,

-ˌlōs,

ˈhä-

or hallahs ˈḵä-ləz

ˈhä-

: egg-rich yeast-leavened bread that is usually braided or twisted before baking and is traditionally eaten by Jews on the Sabbath and holidays

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Challah Comes From Yiddish

When English speakers first borrowed challah from Yiddish, they couldn't quite settle on a single spelling, so the word showed up in several forms; challah and hallah, and the plural forms challot, challoth, challahs, hallot, halloth, and hallahs were all common enough to merit inclusion in Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged when it was released in 1961. Today, challah and the anglicized plural challahs are the variants that are usually encountered by English speakers. The initial ch of challah is frequently pronounced as a velar or uvular fricative, like the ch in the German Buch or the Scottish English loch.

Examples of challah in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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The two-day celebration marks the start of the Jewish New Year and is filled with traditions, like eating a round challah and saying prayers near a body of water. —

Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 2 Oct. 2024 Hot Lobster Roll & Pearls At Rowes Wharf Sea Grille in Boston, a perfect bite involving butter poached Maine lobster, American caviar, and High Rise Bakery challah. —

Aly Walansky, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024 Price: $180 This may be the most creative name of a company ever, which is fitting because their challah is over the top creative, as well. —

Lois Alter Mark, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Gently brush the tops and sides of the challahs with the liquid, sprinkle with the seeds, and bake until the crust is deeply golden brown and the bottoms sound hollow when tapped, 25 to 30 minutes. —

Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for challah