: a female servant in eastern Asia
especially : a Chinese nurse

Examples of amah in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In colonial days, many families had a lifelong helper known as an amah (after the Portuguese word for nurse). Time, 23 Jan. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'amah.' 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

Portuguese ama wet nurse, from Medieval Latin amma

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of amah was in 1832

Dictionary Entries Near amah

Cite this Entry

“Amah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amah. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

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