Illustration of Abyssinian
- Abyssinian 1
Abyssinian
noun
Ab·ys·sin·i·an
ˌa-bə-ˈsi-nē-ən 
-ˈsi-nyən
plural Abyssinians
1
: any of a breed of medium-sized slender domestic cats of African origin with short usually brownish hair ticked with bands of darker color
2
dated
: a native or inhabitant of Abyssinia : ethiopian sense 1
Abyssinian
adjective
Examples of Abyssinian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After personally inviting Belafonte to hear a sermon of his at Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church in 1956, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. requested private time with him.
—
Reginald Dwayne Betts, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2023
Even the Abyssinian Gospel Choir was blown away by her.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 July 2023
The first was held in January, with proceeds given to the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem and the Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church located in Durham.
—Justin Ray, Robb Report, 19 July 2023
Reginald Dwayne Betts, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2023
Even the Abyssinian Gospel Choir was blown away by her.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 July 2023
The first was held in January, with proceeds given to the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem and the Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church located in Durham.
—Justin Ray, Robb Report, 19 July 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Abyssinian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Abyssinia, kingdom in Africa
First Known Use
1703, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Dictionary Entries Near Abyssinian
Cite this Entry
“Abyssinian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Abyssinian. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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More from Merriam-Webster on Abyssinian
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Abyssinian
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