Illustration of Abyssinian
- Abyssinian 1
Abyssinian
noun
Ab·ys·sin·i·an
ˌa-bə-ˈsi-nē-ən 
-ˈsi-nyən
plural Abyssinians
1
: any of a breed of medium-sized slender domestic cats of African origin with short usually brownish hair ticked with bands of darker color
2
dated
: a native or inhabitant of Abyssinia : ethiopian sense 1
Abyssinian
adjective
Examples of Abyssinian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some breeds, notoriously the Abyssinian and Siamese are more predisposed to aggression than other cats.
—
Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Among the most agile cat breeds are the Bengal and Abyssinian.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
The music world gathered at New York’s Abyssinian Baptist Church to mourn the loss of genre legend Roberta Flack.
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025
An unexpected appearance by Ms. Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean was just one of the many riveting moments at the celebration of life honoring the legendary Roberta Flack inside Harlem, New York’s Abyssinian Baptist Church on Monday (March 10).
—Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Finally, for the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Rev. Earle J. Fisher, PhD, senior pastor of Memphis’s Abyssinian Baptist Church and founder of UPTheVote901, wrote about Kamala Harris’s historic presidential nomination and its potential impact on other Black female political leaders.
—Andrea Williams, The Tennessean, 2 Aug. 2024
Someone whispered that the Abyssinian Baptist Church, the influential church in Harlem, was having a community-outreach event at the same time.
—Jazmine Hughes, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
Prior to leading the Ford Foundation, Walker was vice president at the Rockefeller Foundation and COO of Harlem’s Abyssinian Development Corporation.
—Francesca Aton For Artnews, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2024
Walker was also previously vice president of global and domestic programs at the Rockefeller Foundation and chief operating officer of the Abyssinian Development Corporation—Harlem’s largest community development organization—in the 1990s.
—Karen K. Ho, ARTnews.com, 22 July 2024
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Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Among the most agile cat breeds are the Bengal and Abyssinian.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
The music world gathered at New York’s Abyssinian Baptist Church to mourn the loss of genre legend Roberta Flack.
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025
An unexpected appearance by Ms. Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean was just one of the many riveting moments at the celebration of life honoring the legendary Roberta Flack inside Harlem, New York’s Abyssinian Baptist Church on Monday (March 10).
—Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Finally, for the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Rev. Earle J. Fisher, PhD, senior pastor of Memphis’s Abyssinian Baptist Church and founder of UPTheVote901, wrote about Kamala Harris’s historic presidential nomination and its potential impact on other Black female political leaders.
—Andrea Williams, The Tennessean, 2 Aug. 2024
Someone whispered that the Abyssinian Baptist Church, the influential church in Harlem, was having a community-outreach event at the same time.
—Jazmine Hughes, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
Prior to leading the Ford Foundation, Walker was vice president at the Rockefeller Foundation and COO of Harlem’s Abyssinian Development Corporation.
—Francesca Aton For Artnews, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2024
Walker was also previously vice president of global and domestic programs at the Rockefeller Foundation and chief operating officer of the Abyssinian Development Corporation—Harlem’s largest community development organization—in the 1990s.
—Karen K. Ho, ARTnews.com, 22 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Abyssinian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Abyssinian. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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