Main Entry: Sem·ite

Pronunciation: \ˈse-ˌmīt, especially British ˈsē-ˌmīt\

Function: noun

Etymology: French sémite, from Sem Shem, from Late Latin, from Greek Sēm, from Hebrew Shēm

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