Malay

[ mey-ley, muh-ley ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a racially intermixed people who are the dominant population of the Malay Peninsula and adjacent islands.
2. of or relating to the language or culture of these people.

noun

1. a member of the Malay people.
2. an Austronesian language of Malaysia and Singapore, differing from Indonesian only in orthography.

Malay

/ məˈleɪ /

noun

1. a member of a people living chiefly in Malaysia and Indonesia who are descendants of Mongoloid immigrants
2. the language of this people, belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian family

adjective

1. of or relating to the Malays or their language

Other Words From

• non-Malay adjective noun
• pre-Malay adjective

Example Sentences

Sentosa means “a place of peace and tranquility” in Malay, but Mossman says the 1,048-foot super carrier is more of a “floating industrial plant.”

From Washington Post

Kuching means ‘Cat City’ in Malay; nobody will look sideways at those who hug street strays or shriek ‘pusspusspuss!’

From The Daily Beast

As we'd once left Singapore, now Laila and I had recently been considering moving from the Malay Peninsula altogether.

From The Daily Beast

We might have created a force large enough to clear the Malay Peninsula, then Southeast Asia, and from there, who knows?

From The Daily Beast

Perhaps it was just the contrast with the bombs going off every day at ATMs in the main border town on the Thai-Malay frontier.

From The Daily Beast

The Americansʼ good and honest intentions were only equalled by their nescience of the Malay character.

From Project Gutenberg

It is shaped something like a Malay's hat, only the peak tapers to a point about eight feet high.

From Project Gutenberg

And why did that Malay waiting at table stare with such disagreeable intentness at him, Fabio?

From Project Gutenberg

The Malay did not stir at Fabio's entry, he merely turned his eyes upon him, and again bent them upon Muzzio.

From Project Gutenberg

The Malay bent his head from above downwards, and disentangling his right hand from his shawl, he pointed imperiously to the door.

From Project Gutenberg