Standard Lemma guide

abigail

name · noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /ˈæb.ə.ɡeɪl/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈa.bɪ.ɡeɪl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˈa.bɪ.ɡeɪl/
  • CMU ARPABET: AE1 B AH0 G EY2 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

The wife of Nabal and later of David in the Old Testament.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biblical, lifestyle, religion

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

name

Meaning 2

A female given name from Hebrew, used since the 16th century, and currently quite popular.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A lady's maid.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Hebrew אֲבִיגַיִל (avigáyil, “Abigail”, literally “my Father's joy” or “fountain of joy”).

From the name Abigail, as given to a waiting-maid in Beaumont and Fletcher's play The Scornful Lady.

Across languages

Translations

53 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: أَبِيجَايِل (ʔabījāyil) — biblical wife of David
  • Catalan: Abigail — biblical wife of David
  • Dutch: Abigaïl — biblical wife of David
  • French: Abigaïl — biblical wife of David
  • French: Abigail — biblical wife of David
  • French: Abigaël — biblical wife of David
  • French: Abigael — biblical wife of David
  • German: Abigail — biblical wife of David
  • German: Abigajil — biblical wife of David
  • Greek: Αβιγαία (Avigaía) — biblical wife of David
  • Ancient Greek: Ἀβιγαία (Abigaía) — biblical wife of David
  • Hebrew: אֲבִיגָיִל (ʾĂḇîḡáyil) — biblical wife of David
  • Hindi: अबीगैल (abīgail) — biblical wife of David
  • Hungarian: Abigél — biblical wife of David
  • Italian: Abigail — biblical wife of David
  • Kazakh: Әбигел (Äbigel) — biblical wife of David
  • Polish: Abigail — biblical wife of David
  • Portuguese: Abigail — biblical wife of David
  • Russian: Авиге́я (Avigéja) — biblical wife of David
  • Spanish: Abigaíl — biblical wife of David
  • Swedish: Abigail — biblical wife of David
  • Catalan: Abigail — female given name
  • Danish: Abigail — female given name
  • Danish: Abigael — female given name
  • Dutch: Abigail — female given name
  • Dutch: Abigaïl — female given name
  • French: Abigaïl — female given name
  • French: Abigaël — female given name
  • French: Abigaëlle — female given name
  • German: Abigail — female given name
  • Hawaiian: ʻApikaʻila — female given name
  • Hebrew: אביגיל (avigáyil) — female given name
  • Hindi: अबीगैल (abīgail) — female given name
  • Hungarian: Abigél — female given name
  • Italian: Abigaille — female given name
  • Polish: Abigail — female given name
  • Portuguese: Abigail — female given name
  • Russian: Абиге́ль (Abigélʹ) — female given name
  • Russian: Абиге́йл (Abigéjl) — female given name
  • Russian: А́биге́л (Ábigél) — female given name
  • Russian: Э́бигейл (Ébigejl) — female given name
  • Russian: Авиге́я (Avigéja) — female given name
  • Spanish: Abigaíl — female given name
  • Spanish: Abigail — female given name
  • Swedish: Abigail — female given name
  • Dutch: kamermeisje — lady's waiting-maid
  • Finnish: kamarineito — lady's waiting-maid
  • German: Zofe — lady's waiting-maid
  • Hungarian: komorna — lady's waiting-maid
  • Polish: pokojówka — lady's waiting-maid
  • Russian: го́рничная (górničnaja) — lady's waiting-maid
  • Russian: камери́стка (kamerístka) — lady's waiting-maid
  • Spanish: doncella — lady's waiting-maid
Real reading context

abigail in complete knowledge articles