Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A Jew of medieval legend condemned to wander until the Day of Judgment for having mocked Jesus on the day of the Crucifixion.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- proper noun A
Jewish shoemaker who, inChristian tradition, tauntedJesus Christ on the way to his (Jesus')crucifixion and for that wascondemned towander theEarth until Jesus' return (ie. thesecond coming ). - proper noun One of three species of
spiderwort plants, Tradescantia pallida (also called Setcreasea purpurea), Tradescantia fluminensis, andTradescantia zebrina .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a legendary Jew condemned to roam the world for mocking Jesus at the Crucifixion
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
The plant common name is derived from the Christian tradition figure, presumably at least partly from the tendency of those plants to spread through a garden (ie. wander).
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Examples
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Wandering Jew Tradescantia zebrina: Also known as “Inch Plant”, Wandering Jew has leaves with strong dark green and silvery green contrast.
What Plants Are Cubicle-Friendly? | Lifehacker Australia 2010
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Wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina): Also known as "Inch Plant", Wandering Jew has leaves with strong dark green and silvery green contrast.
Lifehacker Jason Fitzpatrick 2010
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“I was the one who heard the story about you — the Wandering Jew, the last of your Lost Age — but I don’t understand.
Ilium Simmons, Dan 1981
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