English

Proper noun

G-d

1. (Judaism) A deliberately incomplete spelling of God.

Usage notes

• Deuteronomy 12:3–4 states “ye shall destroy [pagan gods’] name out of that place. Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God.” Rabbis deduced from this that it was forbidden to erase the name of God from a written document. Since any paper upon which God’s name was written might be discarded and thus “erased”, the rabbis forbade explicitly writing the name of God, except in Holy Books, with provisions for the proper disposal of such books.

See also

• הַשֵּׁם ‎(hashém) (literally "the name", a Hebrew phrase used for the same reasons)
• L-rd

Translations

Anagrams

• DG