צום

Aramaic

Verb

צום • (transliteration needed)

1. to fast, to abstain

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
צ־ו־ם (ts-w-m)

Compare Arabic صَوْم (ṣawm), Ge'ez ጾም (ṣom).

Noun

צוֹם • (tsom) m (plural indefinite צוֹמוֹת, singular construct צוֹם־, plural construct צוֹמוֹת־)

1. fast (a period of time, during which one abstains from food and drink)
   • Tanach, Esther 4:3, with translation of the American Standard Version:

     […] אֵבֶל גָּדוֹל לַיְּהוּדִים וְצוֹם וּבְכִי וּמִסְפֵּד שַׂק וָאֵפֶר יֻצַּע לָרַבִּים׃

     […] 'ével gadól lay'hudím v'tzóm uv'khí umispéd sáq va'éfer yutzá' larabím.

     […] there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

   • Unetanneh Tokef, traditional High Holidays liturgical poem of unclear origin

     בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה יִכָּתֵבוּן, וּבְיוֹם צוֹם כִּפּוּר יֵחָתֵמוּן.

     b'rósh hashaná yikatevún, uv'yóm tzóm kippúr yekhatemún.

     On the New Year it is written, and on the Day of the Fast of Atonement it is sealed.

Synonyms

• תַּעֲנִית

Derived terms

• צוֹם קַל

Related terms

• צָם

Yiddish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡sʊm/

Preposition

צום • (tsum)

1. Contraction of צו דעם (tsu dem): to the.
2. Precedes a superlative adjective in the dative singular to create a superlative adverb.