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amah

noun
\ ˈä-(ˌ)mä How to pronounce amah (audio) \

Definition of amah

: 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, "Inside an Opera That Uses Everything Including the Kitchen Sink to Depict the Lives of Domestic Helpers," 23 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amah.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of amah

1839, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for amah

Portuguese ama wet nurse, from Medieval Latin amma

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Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with amah

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