SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

haftarah

noun haf·ta·rah \ häf-ˈtȯr-ə , ˌhäf-tə-ˈrä \

variants: or haftorah

Definition of haftarah

: one of the biblical selections from the Books of the Prophets read after the parashah in the Jewish synagogue service

Origin and Etymology of haftarah

Hebrew haphṭārāh conclusion

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1723

See Words from the same year

Learn More about haftarah

See words that rhyme with haftarah Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about haftarah

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up haftarah? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

WORD OF THE DAY

headlong

play

without deliberation, pause, or delay

Words at Play

alt-5ad8fc71357ed

Words We're Watching: 'Bluebeard,' the Verb

No, it's not a coiffure trend

alt-5ad8d3361fb97

Where 'Cliff-hangers' Come From

You're on the edge of your seat

alt-5ad77fad37d22

What the #@*% Is a ‘Grawlix'?

We can thank Beetle Bailey.

alt-5ad76a1542e73

'Altho' vs. 'Although'

Altho doesn't get much love.

Ask the Editors

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'feminism'

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066

Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

video-literally

Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

video-his-or-her

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

Word Games

Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

Test your knowledge of strange human behaviors.

Take the quiz

cats-on-impossible-timber

More Confusing Words—Quiz

How many of these commonly confused words do you know?

Take the quiz

Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Take the quiz

Bee Cubed

Listen to the words and spell through all three levels.

Play the game