Irish

Pronunciation

• enPR: Ä«'rÄ­sh, IPA: /ˈaɪrɪʃ/

Origin

Middle English Irisce (12th c.), from Old English Īras (""), from Old Norse írar, from Old Irish Ériu (modern Éire ("Ireland")), from Proto-Celtic *Īwerjū ("fat land, fertile"), from Proto-Indo-European *pi-wer- ("fertile"), literally "fat," akin to Ancient Greek πίειρα (píeira, "fertile land"), Sanskrit (pívarī, "fat").

Full definition of Irish

Proper noun

1. The Goidelic language indigenous to Ireland, also known as Irish Gaelic.Irish is the first official and national language of Ireland

Derived terms

• Ulster Irish
• Munster Irish
• Connacht Irish

Noun

1. (as plural) The Irish people.
2. (obsolete) A board game of the tables family.
3. (US) Temper; anger, passion.
• 1834, David Crockett, A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett, Nebraska (1987), page 65:But her Irish was up too high to do any thing with her, and so I quit trying.
• 1947, Hy Heath, John Lange, Clancy Lowered the Boom:Whenever he got his Irish up, Clancy lowered the boom.
• 1997, Andrew M. Greeley, Irish Lace, The Priest is as fierce a fighter as I am when he gets his Irish up.
4. whiskey, or whisky, elaborated in Ireland.
• 1889, Jerome K. Jerome, Three Men In A Boat:Harris said he'd had enough oratory for one night, and proposed that we should go out and have a smile, saying that he had found a place, round by the square, where you could really get a drop of Irish worth drinking.

Usage notes

Use Irishman or Irishwoman for one singular person.

Adjective

1. Pertaining to or originating from Ireland or the Irish people.Sheep are typical in the Irish landscape.
2. Pertaining to the Irish language.
3. (Derogatory) Nonsensical, daft or complex."A number of derogatory nicknames began to emerge, including "Irish confetti" for thrown bricks, and "Irish kiss" for a slap" (Wisegeek.com)

Derived terms

Anagrams

• rishi
• sirih