Afroasiatic

or Af·ro-A·si·at·ic

[ af-roh-ey-zhee-at-ik, -ey-shee-, -ey-zee- ]

/ ˌæf roʊˌeɪ ʒiˈæt ɪk, -ˌeɪ ʃi-, -ˌeɪ zi- /

Save This Word!

noun

Also called Hamito-Semitic . a family of languages including as subfamilies Semitic, Egyptian, Berber, Cushitic, and Chadic.See also family (def. 16).

adjective

of, belonging to, or pertaining to Afroasiatic; Hamito-Semitic.

QUIZ

GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!

Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.

Question 1 of 9

Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Afroasiatic

First recorded in 1955–60; Afro- + Asiatic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use Afroasiatic in a sentence

I was a dorky Indo-English kid with a South Asian afro, and he was the all-American type, on the baseball team, et cetera.
How Aasif Mandvi Became Jon Stewart’s Favorite Jihadi|Dean Obeidallah|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Tarantino still had his heart set on the Afro, but then Jackson stepped in.
The Secrets of ‘Pulp Fiction’: 20 Things You Didn’t Know About the Movie on Its 20th Anniversary|Marlow Stern|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They saw him in his 30s, sporting a huge Afro and smoking a big cigar on The Dick Cavett Show.
Why Comedians Still Think Bill Cosby Is a Genius|Mark Whitaker|October 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Equally incisive were Danny Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge, and the three young Afro-Englishmen electrified the game.
The Group of Life|Tunku Varadarajan|June 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

During the ride, Jai Johany plays lacy Afro jazz on a cassette machine, frowning, saying nothing.
Stacks: Hitting the Note with the Allman Brothers Band|Grover Lewis|March 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By bringing men over from the Asiatic side and from Adrianople the Turks seem to be able to keep up their strength.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
As already reported in my telegram, fire from the Asiatic shore is at times troublesome, but I am taking steps to deal with it.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
Extra howitzers will be most useful to replace pieces damaged by enemy batteries on the Asiatic side of the Dardanelles.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
It was the day on which we crossed the p. 165Bosphorus by steamer to visit Scutari on the Asiatic shore.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
Drafted also a long cable discussing a diversion on the Asiatic shore of the Dardanelles.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton

British Dictionary definitions for Afroasiatic

Afro-Asiatic

noun

Also called: Semito-Hamitic a family of languages of SW Asia and N Africa, consisting of the Semitic, ancient Egyptian, Berber, Cushitic, and Chadic subfamilies

adjective

denoting, belonging to, or relating to this family of languages

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