[ 'ʃɪbəlɛθ ]
■ noun a custom, principle, or belief distinguishing a particular class or group of people, especially one regarded as outmoded.
Word History
Shibboleth comes from Hebrew, in which it means 'ear of corn'. According to the Bible, the word was used in ancient Israel as a test of nationality because of its difficult pronunciation (see Judges, chapter 12). The word was adopted in English in the 17th century in the sense 'a word or sound which a foreigner is unable to pronounce'. From this developed the sense 'a peculiarity of pronunciation or accent', leading, by the early 19th century, to the meaning 'a custom or habit distinguishing a particular set of people'.