abraham's bosom

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

The repose of the happy in death — The sons of Edward sleep in Abraham's bosom. Richard ///, iv, 3.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “abraham's bosom” mean?

The repose of the happy in death — The sons of Edward sleep in Abraham's bosom. Richard ///, iv, 3.

Is “abraham's bosom” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.