challah

noun chal·lah \ ˈḵä-lə , ˈhä- \

variants: or less commonly challa or hallah

|Updated on: 13 Jul 2018

Editor's Note: challah Comes From Yiddish

Definition of challah

plural challoth or challot play \ˈḵä-ˌlōt, -ˌlōth, -ˌlōs, ˈhä-\ or challahs also challas play \ˈḵä-ləz, ˈhä-\ or halloth or hallot play \ˈḵä-ˌlōt, -ˌlōth, -ˌlōs, ˈhä-\ or hallahs play \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

challah was our Word of the Day on 02/05/2016. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of challah from the Web

The lamb stack sports feta, tzatziki, tomatoes, red onion and arugula, lemon vinaigrette on a challah bun.

— liz biro, Indianapolis Star, "House-ground burgers, sausage planned at new Mass Ave. restaurant Krueger's Tavern," 19 June 2018
The soda pairs nicely with a Lox Club ($13), which layers toasted challah with buttery slices of smoked salmon, green onion cream cheese, crisp salty bacon and juicy tomato.

— sarah gish, kansascity, "Pastrami time: 5 things to know about Broadway Deli's ‘mostly Jewish’ specialties," 8 June 2018
For the appetizer, guests may choose from homemade chopped liver, challah with apples and honey or matzo ball soup.

— audrey gorden, RedEye Chicago, "Ring in the Jewish New Year with these Rosh Hashana specials," 18 Sep. 2017
Campers participate in observances of an Oneg Shabbat, including candle lighting, challah blessing, prayers, Hebrew songs and kosher meals.

— marvin glassman, Jewish Journal, "Campers reach new heights at JCC summer camp programs," 22 June 2018
Karsh's Bakery This venerable kosher bakery, known for its handmade challah and rye breads, Kaiser rolls and Jewish pastries, fell victim to the times.

— azcentral, "Iconic Arizona businesses that are closed," 4 Nov. 2014
Broadway Deli's Lox Club sandwich piles toasted challah bread with green onion cream cheese, smoked salmon, bacon and tomato.

— sarah gish, kansascity, "Pastrami time: 5 things to know about Broadway Deli's ‘mostly Jewish’ specialties," 8 June 2018
Fire Island is an altar to bread, with classics like Alaska whole wheat and Fire Island sourdough turned out daily and specials like challah, plum flax, and sprouted grain offered on specific weekdays.

— genevieve roth, Bon Appetit, "Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop Gets Me Through the Long Alaskan Winter," 6 June 2018
Dishes served include challah bread with apples and honey, homemade gefilte fish, chopped liver, matzo ball soup, beef brisket, apple tarte tatin and flourless chocolate cake.

— audrey gorden, RedEye Chicago, "Ring in the Jewish New Year with these Rosh Hashana specials," 18 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'challah.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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, challa, hallah, and the plural forms challoth, challot, halloth, and hallot 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 fricative, like the ch in the German Buch or the Scottish English loch.