Amish

[ah-mish, am-ish]

adjective

of or relating to any of the strict Mennonite groups, chiefly in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Canada, descended from the followers of Jakob Ammann, a Swiss Mennonite bishop of the 17th century.

noun

the Amish people.

Origin of Amish

1835–45, Americanism; < German amisch, after Jakob Ammann; see -ish¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for amish

Your movies have tackled subjects like Amish bowling, the Special Olympics, and conjoined twins—but never midlife crisis before.
Interview With Hall Pass Directors Farrelly Brothers|Chris Lee|February 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST
[The Amish] are completely cut off from the outside world.
McCain's Last Hope: The Amish Vote|Benjamin Sarlin|October 28, 2008|DAILY BEAST
Self-sufficiency, reflecting contexts of existence of limited scale, marks the Amish and Mennonite families.
The Civilization of Illiteracy|Mihai Nadin
Look, back in the States we have trouble with the Amish, who don't want their children to be taught modern ways.
Black Man's Burden|Dallas McCord Reynolds

The Amish are another branch of the Mennonites, and those among us are likewise descendants of Swiss refugees.
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science|Various
Though American enough, maize had been a foreigner to the first Amish farmers, and still carried history in its name.
Blind Man's Lantern|Allen Kim Lang
He was a member of the Amish Society, a branch of the Dunkard faith, and was a leader among them.
Hands Up; or Thirty-Five Years of Detective Life in the Mountains and on the Plains|D. J. Cook

British Dictionary definitions for amish

Amish

adjective

of or relating to a US and Canadian Mennonite sect that traces its origin to Jakob Amman

noun

the Amish the Amish people

Word Origin for Amish

C19: from German Amisch, after Jakob Amman, 17th-century Swiss Mennonite bishop

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

Word Origin and History for amish

Amish

adj.

1844, American English, from the name of Jacob Amman, 17c. Swiss Mennonite preacher who founded the sect. Originally spelled Omish, which reflects the pronunciation in Pennsylvania German dialect. As a noun, by 1884.

Culture definitions for amish

Amish

[(ah-mish, am-ish, ay-mish)]

A group of Protestants who broke away from the Mennonites in the seventeenth century. The Amish live in close communities, farm for a living, and do without many modern conveniences, such as telephones, automobiles, and tractor-drawn plows.

Note

Some of the Pennsylvania Dutch are Amish.