ISHMAELITE Meaning of ISHMAELITE in English [ 'ɪʃməˌlʌɪt ]■ noun a descendant of Ishmael, a son of Abraham and Hagar (Gen. 16:12), and in Islamic belief the traditional ancestor of Muhammad and of the Arab peoples. Concise Oxford English vocab. Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка. 2004