“shemite” is a form of
Semite
UK /ˈsiː.maɪt/ · US /ˈsɛm.aɪt/ noun
Forms Semites Shemite
- noun A member of a modern people that speak a Semitic language.
- noun A member of any of a number of peoples of ancient southwestern Asia and East Africa such as the Akkadians, Assyrians, Arameans, Phoenicians, Canaanites, Hebrews, Arabs, or Aksumites.
- noun A descendant of any of these peoples.
- noun A descendant of the biblical Patriarch Shem.
- noun (sometimes derogatory) A Jew.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Sem, Shem + -ite, from Late Latin Sēm, from Ancient Greek Σήμ (Sḗm), from Biblical Hebrew שם (šēm). Compare German Semit, New Latin Sēmīta, French sémite.
Webster’s 1913
- noun One belonging to the Semitic race. Also used adjectively.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “Semite”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details