n.
Pronunciation: ' se- ˌ m ī t, esp Brit ' s ē - ˌ m ī t
Function: noun
Etymology: French sémite, from Semitic Shem, from Late Latin, from Greek S ē m, from Hebrew Sh ē m
Date: 1848
1 a : a member of any of a number of peoples of ancient southwestern Asia including the Akkadians, Phoenicians, Hebrews, and Arabs b : a descendant of these peoples
2 : a member of a modern people speaking a Semitic language