Irish

[ ahy-rish ]

adjective
  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Ireland, its inhabitants, or their language.

noun
  1. the inhabitants of Ireland and their descendants elsewhere.

  2. the aboriginal Celtic-speaking people of Ireland.

  1. Also called Irish Gaelic . the Celtic language of Ireland in its historical or modern form. Abbreviation: Ir, Ir.: Compare Middle Irish, Old Irish.

Idioms about Irish

  1. get one's Irish up, Informal. to become angry or outraged: Don't go getting your Irish up over a little matter like that.

Origin of Irish

1
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English Yrisse, Iris(c)h; compare Old English Īras people of Ireland (cognate with Old Norse Īrar ); see -ish1

usage note For Irish

Other words from Irish

  • I·rish·ly, adverb
  • anti-Irish, adjective, noun
  • half-Irish, adjective
  • non-Irish, adjective, noun
  • pre-Irish, adjective
  • pro-Irish, adjective
  • pseudo-Irish, adjective

Words Nearby Irish

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Irish in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Irish

Irish

/ (ˈaɪrɪʃ) /


adjective
  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Ireland, its people, their Celtic language, or their dialect of English

  2. informal, offensive ludicrous or illogical

noun
  1. the Irish (functioning as plural) the natives or inhabitants of Ireland

  2. another name for Irish Gaelic

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with Irish

Irish

see luck of the devil (Irish).

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.