eruv

Alternative forms

• erub
• eiruv

Etymology

From Hebrew עירוב‎ \ עֵרוּב‎ (“mixture”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛɹʊv/, /ˈeɪ.ɹʊv/

Noun

eruv (plural eruvs or eruvim or eruvin)

1. (Jewish law) A ritual aggregation of properties that allows Jews observing traditional Shabbat rules to carry burdens across property lines.
   • 2007 August 12, Jake Mooney, “A Slender Thread to Knit a Neighborhood”, in New York Times‎:

     “We live in a day and age,” he continued, “where if you don’t have an eruv, you’re taking yourself off of many people’s lists.”

   • 2011, Caitlin Moran, How to be a Woman:

     ‘Fat’ is the word you hear shouted in the playground, or on the street – it's never allowed over the threshold of the house. My mum won't have that filth in her house. At home, together, we are safe. It's like an eruv for the slow and soft.