bethlehem Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a town in eastern Pennsylvania on the Lehigh River to the northwest of Philadelphia; an important center for steel production
  2. noun a small town near Jerusalem on the West Bank of the Jordan River; early home of David and regarded as the place where Jesus was born
    Bethlehem-Judah; Bayt Lahm; Bethlehem Ephrathah.

WordNet

Beth"le*hem noun
Etymology
Heb. bth-lekhem house of food; bth house + lekhem food, lakham to eat. Formerly the name of a hospital for the insane, in London, which had been the priory of St. Mary of Bethlehem. Cf. Bedlam.
Definitions
  1. A hospital for lunatics; -- corrupted into bedlam.
  2. (Arch.) In the Ethiopic church, a small building attached to a church edifice, in which the bread for the eucharist is made. Audsley.

Webster 1913