lost tribes: Meaning and Definition of

lost' tribes'

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. the members of the ten tribes of ancient Israel who were taken into captivity in 722 b.c. by Sargon II of Assyria and are believed never to have returned to Palestine. II Kings 17:1–23.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.