ayah

noun

Definition of ayahnext
as in amah

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ayah This was a place where other Asians also found a home, notably lascars from India and East Africa, and ayahs abandoned by their English employers after the long sea voyage. — Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ayah
  1. amah
  2. nurse
  3. nanny
Noun
  • In colonial days, many families had a lifelong helper known as an amah (after the Portuguese word for nurse).
    — Time, Time, 23 Jan. 2018
Definition of amah
Noun
  • The felony second-degree assault by strangulation charge was added by the district attorney’s office after a forensic examination by a nurse at Anschutz Medical Center.
    — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 28 July 2026
  • In the fall, she was set to attend the University of Missouri-Kansas City with the goal of becoming a nurse.
    — Eric Adler July 28, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026
Definition of nurse
Noun
  • Per Tatler, Diana—a former nanny—even helped Camilla with her children Tom and Laura.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 26 July 2026
  • The period drama, set just after World War 2, stars Mathilde Arcel as Marie, a young nanny and housemaid who is set to marry her boss, the wealthy older widower, Christian (Carsten Bjørnlund).
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2026
Definition of nanny

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Cite this Entry

“Ayah.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ayah. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ayah

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ayah

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