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Term

shibboleth n

Shibboleth means phrase or custom marking group identity. Explore the term's definition, IPA/phonetic pronunciation, and usage examples.

Definition of shibboleth

  • phrase or custom marking group identity

Usage examples of shibboleth

Knowing the old school chant was a shibboleth that proved someone had really attended the academy.

In that office, using a certain technical phrase became a shibboleth separating insiders from newcomers.

The accent was treated as a shibboleth, revealing whether a traveler came from the local village.

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