Irish

[ ahy-rish ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Ireland, its inhabitants, or their language.

noun

1. the inhabitants of Ireland and their descendants elsewhere.
2. the aboriginal Celtic-speaking people of Ireland.
3. Also called Irish Gaelic. the Celtic language of Ireland in its historical or modern form. : Ir, Ir. Compare Middle Irish, Old Irish.
4. Irish English.
5. Irish whiskey.

Irish

/ ˈaɪrɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Ireland, its people, their Celtic language, or their dialect of English
2. informal.
   ludicrous or illogical

noun

1. the Irish
   functioning as plural the natives or inhabitants of Ireland
2. another name for Irish Gaelic

Sensitive Note

See Irish pennant.

Other Words From

• Irish·ly adverb
• anti-Irish adjective noun
• half-Irish adjective
• non-Irish adjective noun
• pre-Irish adjective
• pro-Irish adjective
• pseudo-Irish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Irish¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English Yrisse, Iris(c)h; compare Old English Īras people of Ireland (cognate with Old Norse Īrar ); -ish ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. get one's Irish up, Informal. to become angry or outraged:

   Don't go getting your Irish up over a little matter like that.

More idioms and phrases containing Irish

see luck of the devil (Irish) .

Example Sentences

The Irish sports star previously told the court he had consensual sex with Ms Hand in a penthouse at the Beacon Hotel.

From BBC

Irish police confirmed that she had died from a bullet wound to the head.

From BBC

After finishing around midnight, he went with other officers to an Irish pub near the station.

From BBC

This year's longlist also includes indie band English Teacher and Northern Irish rap act Kneecap.

From BBC

In 1987, Mr Reid moved south of the border to the Cork Examiner, where he built up good contacts with Irish politicians.

From BBC