| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
Semitic or (less commonly) Shemitic (sɪˈmɪtɪk) ![]() | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a branch or subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic family of languages that includes Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic, Amharic, and such ancient languages as Akkadian and Phoenician |
| —adj | |
| 2. | denoting, relating to, or belonging to this group of languages |
| 3. | denoting, belonging to, or characteristic of any of the peoples speaking a Semitic language, esp the Jews or the Arabs |
| 4. | another word for Jewish |
| Shemitic or (less commonly) Shemitic | |
| —n | |
| —adj | |
A descriptive term for several peoples of the Middle East and their descendants, including Jews and Arabs (see Arab-Israeli conflict). Today the term is mainly applied to Jews. (See anti-Semitism.)