In Yiddish-speaking Jewish communities, the master of a household or the owner of a business; a person of substance or authority.
From Yiddish balabós, derived from Hebrew ba'al-habayit meaning 'master of the house.' The word entered English Yiddish communities in the 19th century and appears in American Jewish literature.
The word 'balabos' captures a distinctly Jewish-European cultural figure—the independent-minded householder or small business owner who had authority in their sphere, distinct from both wealthy elites and workers.
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