shidduch means A system of matchmaking in which Jewish singles are introduced to each other. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why this word is great
SHIDDUCH — [Noun] A formal system of arranged matchmaking, or the resulting pairing, within traditional Jewish communities. Borrowed from Yiddish שידוך (shídekh), from Hebrew שִׁדּוּךְ (shidúkh, "matchmaking, arrangement"). Unlike *shadchan* (which denotes the matchmaker) or *date* (a casual, open-ended exploration), a *shidduch* is the intentional architecture of a union itself, sanctified by communal purpose. It is the weight of a dossier exchanged over tea, the charged silence across a carefully set parlor table, the precise calculus of lineage and faith that precedes a first glance—a humble, human attempt to impose a fragile order upon the chaos of the heart, a covenant built not on spark but on foundation.
noun
- A system of matchmaking in which Jewish singles are introduced to each other.
- A pairing under this system.“When you're engaged, you have a chiyuv to set up your friends too. You might not have anybody in mind for your friends before you're engaged, but once you are, you obtain a special power that makes it possible to sense a good shidduch when you see one.”
verb
- To arrange a match via shidduch.