ˈseˌmīt, usu -īd.+V; chiefly Brit ˈsēˌm- noun
( -s )
Usage: capitalized
Etymology: French sémite, from Semitic, son of Noah, eponymous ancestor of the Semites (Gen 10:22-31) (from Late Latin, from Greek Sēm, from Hebrew Shēm ) + French -ite
1. : a member of one of the peoples listed in the Scriptures as descended from Shem, a son of Noah
2. : a member of any of a group of peoples of southwestern Asia speaking Semitic languages and chiefly represented now by the Jews and Arabs but in ancient times also by the Babylonians, Assyrians, Aramaeans, Canaanites, and Phoenicians