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   shibboleth

   /ˈʃɪbəlɛθ/

   noun

   • 1. a custom, principle, or belief distinguishing a particular class or group of people, especially a long-standing one regarded as outmoded or no longer important: "the majority, under the influence of vague nineteenth-century shibboleths, understood him to be associating himself with the doctrine that every nation has a right to be a sovereign state"

   Word Origin mid 17th century: from Hebrew šibbōleṯ ‘ear of corn’, used as a test of nationality by its difficult pronunciation (Judg. 12:6).

   Scrabble Points: 20

   • S

     1

   • H

     4

   • I

     1

   • B

     3

   • B

     3

   • O

     1

   • L

     1

   • E

     1

   • T

     1

   • H

     4

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