Ethiopian

[ ee-thee-oh-pee-uh n ]

/ ˌi θiˈoʊ pi ən /

adjective

of or relating to Ethiopia or to its inhabitants.

belonging to the part of Africa south of the equator.

Zoogeography. belonging to a geographical division comprising Africa south of the tropic of Cancer, the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula, and Madagascar.

Archaic. black African.

noun

a native of Ethiopia.

a member of any of various supposedly dark-skinned peoples regarded by the ancients as coming from a country lying south of Egypt.

Archaic. a black African.

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL PUNCTUATION!

Commas mark divisions in sentences. Periods end declarative sentences. Apostrophes show possession. Easy, right? Well, punctuation can get pretty tricky—fast. Think you got what it takes to be a punctuation expert? Take our quiz to prove it!

Question 1 of 10

Which of the options below is the best punctuation for the sentence? It__s your turn to pick the movie __ but your sister gets to pick the board game we _ re going to play.

Its your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game were going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie, but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Ethiopian

First recorded in 1545–55; Ethiopi(a) + -an

OTHER WORDS FROM Ethiopian

pro-E·thi·o·pi·an, adjective, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for ethiopian

That marked the beginning of a fruitful long-term relationship with his Ethiopian clients.
'Made in China' Now Being Made in Africa|Brendon Hong|August 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Co-pilot on Ethiopian Airlines waited until pilot went to the bathroom and locked him out of the cockpit.
Up to a Point: PJ on Sochi Stray Dog Stew and 1-800-F*CKYOU|P. J. O’Rourke|February 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ethiopian Airlines wishes to apologize to its esteemed customers for the inconvenience caused by this diversion.
Inside The Ethiopian Airlines Hijacking Terror|Barbie Latza Nadeau|February 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ethiopian Airlines issued a statement apologizing for the incident.
Inside The Ethiopian Airlines Hijacking Terror|Barbie Latza Nadeau|February 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Ethiopian Christians, for instance, depicted Christ—and other biblical figures—as Ethiopians.
Yes, Megyn Kelly, Santa Can Be Black (and Jesus, Too)|Jamelle Bouie|December 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The operation was also performed with a sharpened Ethiopian stone, called tabona.
Curiosities of Medical Experience|J. G. (John Gideon) Millingen
The Ethiopian pyramids are all of much more elongated form than the old Egyptian ones.
History Of Egypt, Chalda, Syria, Babylonia, And Assyria In The Light Of Recent Discovery|L.W. King and H.R. Hall
By request she repeated the Ethiopian address to the chauffeur, himself of that tongue and nation; and off the cousins bowled.
V. V.'s Eyes|Henry Sydnor Harrison
Did not the Ethiopian Eunuch, having obtained salvation, 'go on his way rejoicing?'
The Hero of the Humber|Henry Woodcock
Prexaspes handed him the Ethiopian bow, and pointed out a target at some distance.
An Egyptian Princess, Complete|Georg Ebers

British Dictionary definitions for ethiopian

Ethiopian

/ (ˌiːθɪˈəʊpɪən) /

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of Ethiopia, its people, or any of their languages

of or denoting a zoogeographical region consisting of Africa south of the Sahara

anthropol obsolete of or belonging to a postulated racial group characterized by dark skin, an oval elongated face, and thin lips, living chiefly in Africa south of the Sahara

noun

a native or inhabitant of Ethiopia

any of the languages of Ethiopia, esp Amharic

noun, adjective

an archaic word for Black

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