barren

adjective (barren, more barren, most barren)

«barren» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

Everyday

Of land: too poor to grow plants or crops; bare and empty: a barren desert. tree →
(old, also Bible) Of a woman or animal: not able to have babies. tree →
Of a plant or tree: not producing fruit. tree →
Empty, giving no results: a barren argument. tree →

In the lessons

Geography and science: barren deserts, ice fields, rocky islands. In the Bible several women thought to be barren, like Sarah and Hannah, later have children, and Christians and Jews see this as God's blessing. Stories: barren land shows hardship.

Examples

Nothing grew on the barren hillside. tree →
The Arctic tundra looks barren in winter. tree →
The barren tree gave no apples. tree →
In the Bible, Sarah was barren until she had Isaac. tree →
After the fire, the land was barren. tree →
The talks were long and barren. tree →
So the brave old horse was turned out to find what he could among the rocks on the barren hill-side. tree →

Note

Double r. Today «unable to have children» is said kindly with «infertile»; «barren» for people is old-fashioned and can hurt. Opposite for land: fertile.

In Jewish tradition

Unable to have children. The matriarchs Sarai and Rachel were barren for a long time.

Interpretation. The tradition sees the barrenness of Sarah, Rebekah and Rachel as a test of faith. Each was later answered by God, so that Israel's story begins with children given by God.

Examples

And Sarai was barren; she had no child. (Torah GEN.11.30, JPS 1917) tree →
And the LORD saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. (Torah GEN.29.31, JPS 1917) tree →
None shall miscarry, nor be barren, in thy land; the number of thy days I will fulfil. (Torah EXO.23.26, JPS 1917) tree →
He devoureth the barren that beareth not; and doeth not good to the widow. (Writings JOB.24.21, JPS 1917) tree →
Who maketh the barren woman to dwell in her house as a joyful mother of children. (Writings PSA.113.9, JPS 1917) tree →
The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not satisfied with water; and the fire that saith not: 'Enough.' (Writings PRO.30.16, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Double r. Today «unable to have children» is said kindly with «infertile»; «barren» for people is old-fashioned and can hurt. Opposite for land: fertile.

On Mova

Trees and pragmatics of «barren» in the school dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
«barren» in the school dictionary on Mova free.
Trees and pragmatics of «barren» in the Judaism dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
«barren» in the Judaism dictionary on Mova free.

This page in Markdown → https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/barren/