Of or pertaining to Ireland or to its inhabitants; produced in Ireland. [1913 Webster]

Irish elk. (Zoöl.) See under Elk. -- Irish moss. (a) (Bot.) Carrageen. (b) A preparation of the same made into a blanc mange. -- Irish poplin. See Poplin. -- Irish potato, the ordinary white potato, so called because it is a favorite article of food in Ireland. -- Irish reef, or Irishman's reef (Naut.), the head of a sail tied up. -- Irish stew, meat, potatoes, and onions, cut in small pieces and stewed.

irish, n. sing. & pl.

The natives or inhabitants of Ireland, esp. the Celtic natives or their descendants. [1913 Webster]

The language of the Irish; also called Irish Gaelic or the Hiberno-Celtic. [1913 Webster]

An old game resembling backgammon. [1913 Webster]

get one's Irish up to become angry.

top

OXFORD DICTIONARY

irish, adj. & n.
--adj. of or relating to Ireland; of or like its people.
--n.
1 the Celtic language of Ireland.
2 (prec. by the; treated as pl.) the people of Ireland.

Idiom

Irish bull = BULL(3). Irish coffee coffee mixed with a dash of whisky and served with cream on top. Irish moss dried carrageen. Irish Sea the sea between England and Wales and Ireland. Irish stew a stew of mutton, potato, and onion. Irish terrier a rough-haired light reddish-brown breed of terrier.

Etymology

ME f. OE Iras the Irish

top

ROGET THESAURUS

irish

Inhabitant
N inhabitant, resident, residentiary, dweller, indweller, addressee, occupier, occupant, householder, lodger, inmate, tenant, incumbent, sojourner, locum tenens, commorant, settler, squatter, backwoodsman, colonist, islander, denizen, citizen, burgher, oppidan, cockney, cit, townsman, burgess, villager, cottager, cottier, cotter, compatriot, backsettler, boarder, hotel keeper, innkeeper, habitant, paying guest, planter, native, indigene, aborigines, autochthones, Englishman, John Bull, newcomer, aboriginal, American, Caledonian, Cambrian, Canadian, Canuck, downeaster, Scot, Scotchman, Hibernian, Irishman, Welshman, Uncle Sam, Yankee, Brother Jonathan, garrison, crew, population, people, colony, settlement, household, mir, indigenous, native, natal, autochthonal, autochthonous, British, English, American, Canadian, Irish, Scotch, Scottish, Welsh, domestic, domiciliated, domiciled, naturalized, vernacular, domesticated, domiciliary, in the occupation of, garrisoned by, occupied by.

For further exploring for "irish" in Webster Dictionary Online