Ishmael

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈɪʃmeɪəl/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(ish′mē əl, -mā-)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
Ish•ma•el  (ish′mē əl, -mā-),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Biblethe son of Abraham and Hagar: both he and Hagar were cast out of Abraham's family by Sarah. Gen. 16:11, 12.
  2. any outcast.
  3. an Arab.
  • Hebrew Yishmā‘ēl literally, God will hear

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Ishmael /ˈɪʃmeɪəl/ n
  1. the son of Abraham and Hagar, Sarah's handmaid: the ancestor of 12 Arabian tribes (Genesis 21:8–21; 25:12–18)
  2. 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)
  3. rare an outcast
'Ishmael' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Hagar - Abraham - Id al-Adha - Ishmaelite - Ismael - Kedar - reed

Forum discussions with the word(s) "Ishmael" in the title:


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