Ishmael

[ish-mee-uh l, -mey-]

See more synonyms for Ishmael on Thesaurus.com

noun

the son of Abraham and Hagar: both he and Hagar were cast out of Abraham's family by Sarah. Gen. 16:11, 12.
any outcast.
an Arab.

Origin of Ishmael

From the Hebrew word Yishmāʿēl literally, God will hear

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for ishmael

Contemporary Examples

It is clear that while Ishmael and Isaac end up very different people, they bear one another no ill will.
Isaac, Ishmael And Burying The Hatchet
Alana Suskin
September 17, 2012
In this way, our fathers, Isaac and Ishmael, will both see their children thrive together.
Isaac, Ishmael And Burying The Hatchet
Alana Suskin
September 17, 2012
Finally, when Abraham dies, Isaac and Ishmael return to bury him.
Isaac, Ishmael And Burying The Hatchet
Alana Suskin
September 17, 2012
Ishmael Beah, former child soldier and author of A Long Way Gone, joined us to discuss KONY 2012 and his own experiences.
Live Chat About Kony with Ishmael Beah
The Daily Beast
April 17, 2012
Just over a week later, on July 9, a man named Ishmael “Hoody” Kourma received six fatal gunshot wounds in Steubenville, Ohio.
8 Explosive Finds in Wu-Tang Clan Member Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s FBI Files
Marlow Stern
January 13, 2012

Historical Examples

After all, if the truth were known, they are sons of Ishmael.'
Tancred
Benjamin Disraeli
He would depopulate my empire, that it might not be said that Ishmael shared the heritage of Israel.
Alroy
Benjamin Disraeli
Davies, my friend, there is a man who is a veritable Ishmael.
Under Fire
Charles King
Could the stranger be that wandering Ishmael of the sea—Peese?
The Ebbing Of The Tide
Louis Becke
As a people, they are chiefly the descendants of Esau and Ishmael.
The Lost Ten Tribes, and 1882
Joseph Wild

British Dictionary definitions for ishmael

Ishmael

noun

the son of Abraham and Hagar, Sarah's handmaid: the ancestor of 12 Arabian tribes (Genesis 21:8–21; 25:12–18)
a bandit chieftain, who defied the Babylonian conquerors of Judah and assassinated the governor appointed by Nebuchadnezzar (II Kings 25:25; Jeremiah 40:13–41:18)
rare an outcast

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 ishmael

Ishmael

masc. proper name, biblical son of Abraham and Hagar, from Hebrew Yishma'el, literally "God hears," from yishma, imperf. of shama "he heard." The Arabs claim descent from him. Figurative sense of "an outcast," "whose hand is against every man, and every man's hand against him" is from Gen. xvi:12.

Ishmael

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}Ishmael

Examples from the Web for ishmael

Contemporary Examples

It is clear that while Ishmael and Isaac end up very different people, they bear one another no ill will.

In this way, our fathers, Isaac and Ishmael, will both see their children thrive together.

Finally, when Abraham dies, Isaac and Ishmael return to bury him.

Ishmael Beah, former child soldier and author of A Long Way Gone, joined us to discuss KONY 2012 and his own experiences.

Just over a week later, on July 9, a man named Ishmael “Hoody” Kourma received six fatal gunshot wounds in Steubenville, Ohio.

Historical Examples

After all, if the truth were known, they are sons of Ishmael.'

He would depopulate my empire, that it might not be said that Ishmael shared the heritage of Israel.

Davies, my friend, there is a man who is a veritable Ishmael.

Could the stranger be that wandering Ishmael of the sea—Peese?

As a people, they are chiefly the descendants of Esau and Ishmael.

Ishmael

Word Origin and History for ishmael

Ishmael

Origin of Ishmael