shtetl

play

noun \ ˈshte-tᵊl , ˈshtā- \

variants: or less commonly shtetel

Definition of shtetl

plural shtetlach play \ˈshtet-ˌläḵ, ˈshtāt-\ also shtetels

:a small Jewish town or village formerly found in Eastern Europe

Recent Examples of shtetl from the Web

After the convention, Bellsey became interested in researching the history of this Torah — and traced the scroll to Kutna Hora, a shtetl (town) in the former Czechoslovakia about an hour east of Prague.

— randall p. lieberman, Jewish Journal, "Temple ceremony recalls departed on Yom HaShoah," 1 May 2017
Mr. Obama tried to explain the unlikely friendship that developed between an African-American from Hawaii and a child of the shtetl who grew up to lead Israel.

— peter baker, New York Times, "World Leaders Gather to Mourn Shimon Peres, and Possibly His Dream," 30 Sep. 2016
One nightclub was a repurposed synagogue in of the town of Eišiškės, a former Jewish shtetl.

— pete brook, WIRED, "Savor the Awkward Atmosphere of the Post-Soviet Dance Club," 10 June 2014

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