shiksa

or shik·se

[ shik-suh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, Yiddish: Often Disparaging.

a term used especially by a Jew to refer to a girl or woman who is not Jewish.
a term used especially by a Jew to refer to a Jewish girl or woman whose attitudes, behavior, or appearance are felt to resemble those of a gentile.
a term used by an observant Jew to refer to a Jewish woman who is not religious or is ignorant of Judaism.

shiksa

/ ˈʃɪksə /

noun

a non-Jewish girl
a Jewish girl who fails to live up to traditional Jewish standards

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Sensitive Note

This term is often used with disparaging intent, especially when a Jew is implying that the gentile woman is an outsider, not “one of our own.” On the other hand, use of the term in positive contexts such as blonde shiksa goddess can reflect a negative view of Jewish women as unattractive, even though these beautiful shiksas may be luring Jewish men away from their religion. To counter this view of the gentile woman as seductive temptress, shiksa is used by some non-Jewish women as a positive term of self-reference.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of shiksa¹

Yiddish shikse, feminine of sheygets non-Jewish youth, from Hebrew sheqes defect

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Example Sentences

Of course, Jewish mothers worry endlessly about their sons falling prey to the seductive powers of the shiksa.

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