Ishmaelite

[ ish-mee-uh-lahyt, -mey-uh-, -muh- ]

noun
  1. a descendant of Ishmael, the traditional ancestor of the Arab peoples.

  2. a wanderer or outcast.

Origin of Ishmaelite

1
First recorded in 1570–80; Ishmael + -ite1

Other words from Ishmaelite

  • Ish·ma·el·it·ish, adjective

Words Nearby Ishmaelite

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Ishmaelite in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Ishmaelite

Ishmaelite

/ (ˈɪʃmeɪəˌlaɪt) /


noun
  1. a supposed descendant of Ishmael; a member of a desert people of Old Testament times

  2. rare an outcast

Derived forms of Ishmaelite

  • Ishmaelitism, noun

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