Hebrew

Noun

תִּנְשֶׁמֶת • ‎(tinshémet) f ‎(plural indefinite תִּנְשָׁמוֹת)

1. barn owl, the bird Tyto alba
   • Deuteronomy 14:16, with translation of the New International Version:

     אֶת-הַכּוֹס וְאֶת-הַיַּנְשׁוּף וְהַתִּנְשָׁמֶת‎

     et hakós veét hayanshúf vehatinshémet

     the little owl, the great owl, the white owl

2. (biblical) one of the eight unclean animals, whose identity is unknown. Probably the chameleon.
   • Leviticus 11:29-30, with translation of the New International Version:

     וְזֶה לָכֶם הַטָּמֵא בַּשֶּׁרֶץ הַשֹּׁרֵץ עַל-הָאָרֶץ הַחֹלֶד וְהָעַכְבָּר וְהַצָּב לְמִינֵהוּ : וְהָאֲנָקָה וְהַכֹּחַ וְהַלְּטָאָה וְהַחֹמֶט וְהַתִּנְשָׁמֶת‎

     vəzé lachém hatamé bashéretz hashorétz 'al haáretz haḥóled vəha'achbár vəhatzáv ləminéhu : vəhaanaqá vəhakóaḥ vəhalətaá vəhaḥómet vəhatinshémet

     Of the animals that move along the ground, these are unclean for you: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard. The gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon.