amah
[ ah-muh, am-uh ]
/ ˈɑ mə, ˈæm ə /
noun (in India and the Far East)
a baby's nurse, especially a wet nurse.
a female servant; maid.
QUIZZES
DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Origin of amah
1830–40; <Portuguese ama nurse, governess <Medieval Latin amma wet nurse, perhaps alteration of Latin mamma breast
Words nearby amah
Amado, amadoda, Amador Guerrero, amadou, Amagasaki, amah, amain, amakihi, Amakrokokroko, amakwerekwere, amal.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for amah
British Dictionary definitions for amah
amah
/ (ˈɑːmə, ˈæmə) /
noun
(in the East, esp formerly) a nurse or maidservant, esp one of Chinese originCompare ayah
Word Origin for amah
C19: from Portuguese ama nurse, wet nurse
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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