Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • In the Bible, an officer in the Israelite army and the husband of Bathsheba. He was sent to die in battle so that David could marry his wife.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • proper noun Any of a number of Old Testament men, including Bathsheba's husband whom David sent to death.
  • proper noun rather rare A male given name of Biblical origin.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun (Old Testament) the husband of Bathsheba and a soldier who was sent to die in battle so that king David could marry his wife (circa 10th century BC)

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Classical Hebrew אוּרִיָּה ('ūriyyā), literally “God is my light”.

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Examples

  • In a takeoff on the Scorcese classic After Hours, she stumbles into a gothy, pervy nightclub where popmetal band Uriah is playing.

    Out of Control (DVD Review) « Skid Roche 2007

  • There’s a similar thoughtfulness in Uriah Robinson’s latest posting on his Crime Scraps blog – a review of Philip Kerr’s March Violets which not only tells you everything you need to know about the book but also links it pertinently to the recent Austrian elections.

    From Mongolia by way of northern England Maxine 2008

  • There’s a similar thoughtfulness in Uriah Robinson’s latest posting on his Crime Scraps blog – a review of Philip Kerr’s March Violets which not only tells you everything you need to know about the book but also links it pertinently to the recent Austrian elections.

    From Mongolia by way of northern England Maxine 2008

  • ‘Oh, how pleasant to be called Uriah, spontaneously!’ he cried; and gave himself a jerk, like a convulsive fish.

    David Copperfield 2007

  • “Oh, how pleasant to be called Uriah, spontaneously!

    XXV. Good and Bad Angels 1917

  • 'Oh, how pleasant to be called Uriah, spontaneously!' he cried; and gave himself a jerk, like a convulsive fish.

    David Copperfield Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870 1917

  • To avoid discovery, David recalled Uriah from the war, and bade him go home to his wife.

    God and my Neighbour Robert Blatchford 1897

  • To avoid discovery, David recalled Uriah from the war, and bade him go home to his wife.

    God and my Neighbour Robert Blatchford 1897

  • To avoid discovery, David recalled Uriah from the war, and bade him go home to his wife.

    God and my Neighbour Robert Blatchford 1897

  • When the king first recalled Uriah from the field, Uriah went not to his own house, as he suspected foul play, having heard that Bath-sheba often appeared at court.

    The Woman's Bible Elizabeth Cady Stanton 1858

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