Ishmael

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

/ ˈɪʃ mi əl, -meɪ- /

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for ishmael

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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
Finally, when Abraham dies, Isaac and Ishmael return to bury him.
Isaac, Ishmael And Burying The Hatchet|Alana Suskin|September 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
There was not a human creature except Ishmael himself on the road or anywhere in sight.
Ishmael|Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth
It therefore became necessary for Hagar and Ishmael to be sent away after the birth of Isaac.
A Manual for Teaching Biblical History|Eugene Kohn
Law, Ishmael, that would give you more trouble than keeping the books yourself.
Ishmael|Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth
In vain Ishmael attempted a few words of rude consolation; she neither listened nor answered.
The Prairie|J. Fenimore Cooper
"Compared to us Ishmael would be a society favorite if Surtaine carries this through," said one.
The Clarion|Samuel Hopkins Adams

British Dictionary definitions for ishmael

Ishmael

/ (ˈɪʃmeɪəl) /

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.