Ishmael
Americannoun
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(in the Bible) the son of Abraham and Hagar: both he and Hagar were cast out of Abraham's family by Sarah.
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any outcast.
noun
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the son of Abraham and Hagar, Sarah's handmaid: the ancestor of 12 Arabian tribes (Genesis 21:8–21; 25:12–18)
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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)
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rare an outcast
Etymology
Origin of Ishmael
From Hebrew Yishmāʿēl “God will hear”
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That product made a “big splash,” said Ishmael Asad, a research analyst at Bitwise, in an interview.
From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026
That product made a “big splash,” said Ishmael Asad, a research analyst at Bitwise, in an interview.
From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026
In Guo’s re-reading, it is not just Ishmael that was recast, as Ahab now appears in the form of a freed black man named Seneca.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2026
British light-middleweight Ishmael Davis took two successive late replacement fights in 2024, one at Wembley Stadium and one in Riyadh, and has now lost three in a row.
From BBC • Oct. 11, 2025
“That’s where his lantern was hung,” said Ishmael.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
