Etymologies: Z

202 word origins.

Zaffer: [F. zafre, safre; cf. Sp. zafra, safra, It. saffera, G. zaffer; all probably of Arabic origin. Cf. Zaphara.]
Zaim: [Turk. & Ar. za'īm.]
Zaimet: [Turk. & Ar. za'īmet.]
Zambo: [See Sambo.]
Zamia: [L. zamia a kind of fir cone, from Gr. , , hurt, damage. See Plin. xvi. 44.]
Zamindar: [Hind. zemīndār, zamīndār, a landholder, Per. zamīndār; zamīn land dār holding.]
Zamouse: [From a native name.]
Zampogna: [It.]
Zander: [Cf. D. zand sand.]
Zandmole: [Cf. D. zand sand. See Sand, and Mole the animal.]
Zany: [It. zanni a buffoon, merry-andrew, orig. same as Giovanni John, i. e., merry John, L. Ioannes, Gr. , Heb. Yōkhānān, prop., the Lord graciously gave: cf. F. zani, fr. the Italian. Cf. Jenneting.]
Zapas: [Russ.]
Zapatera: [Sp. aceituna zapatera.]
Zaphrentis: [NL.]
Zaratite: [Named after Gen. Zarata of Spain.]
Zarf: [Ar.]
Zarnich: [F., fr. Ar. az-zernīkh, fr. Gr. . See Arsenic.]
Zastrugi: [Russ. zastruga furrow made on the shore by water.]
Zauschneria: [NL., named for M. Zauschner, a Bohemian botanist.]
Zea: [L., a kind of grain, fr. Gr. ze`a, zeia`; cf. Skr. yava barley.]
Zeal: [F. zèle; cf. Pg. & It. zelo, Sp. zelo, celo; from L. zelus, Gr. , probably akin to to boil. Cf. Yeast, Jealous.]
Zealot: [F. zélote, L. zelotes, Gr. . See Zeal.]
Zealous: [LL. zelosus. See Zeal.]
Zebra: [Pg. zebra; cf. Sp. cebra; probably from a native African name.]
Zebu: [. zébu; of uncertain origin.]
Zechstein: [Gr., fr. zeche a mine + stein a stone.]
Zed: [F., probably through It. zeta, fr. L. zeta. See Zeta.]
Zedoary: [F. zédoaire, LL. zedoaria; cf. It. zedoaria, zettovario, Pg. zedoaria, Sp. zedoaria, cedoaria; all fr. Ar. & Per. zedwr.]
Zeekoe: [D., sea cow, lake cow.]
Zehner: [G.]
Zein: [Cf. F. zéine. See Zea.]
Zeitgeist: [G.; zeit time + geist spirit. See Tide, n.; Ghost, n.]
Zemstvo: [Russ., fr. zemlya land.]
Zenana: [Hind. zenāna, zanāna, fr. Per. zanāna, fr. zan woman; akin to E. queen.]
Zend: [See Zend-Avesta.]
Zend-Avesta: [Properly, the Avesta, or sacred text, and its zend, or interpretation, in a more modern and intelligible language. W. D. Whitney.]
Zendik: [Ar. zandīk.]
Zenith: [OE. senyth, OF. cenith, F. zénith, Sp. zenit, cenit, abbrev. fr. Ar. samt-urras way of the head, vertical place; samt way, path + al the + ras head. Cf. Azimuth.]
Zeolite: [Gr. to boil + -lite: cf. F. zéolithe.]
Zephyr: [L. zephyrus, Gr. , akin to darkness, the dark side, west: cf. F. zéphyr.]
Zephyrus: [L. See Zephyr.]
Zerda: [Of African origin.]
Zero: [F. zéro, from Ar. çafrun, çifrun, empty, a cipher. Cf. Cipher.]
Zest: [F. zeste, probably fr. L. schistos split, cleft, divided, Gr. , from to split, cleave. Cf. Schism.]
Zeta: [L., from Gr. . Cf. Zed.]
Zetetic: [Gr. , fr. to seek: cf. F. zététique.]
Zetetics: [See Zetetic, a.]
Zeuglodon: [Gr. the strap or loop of a yoke + , , tooth.]
Zeuglodonta: [NL.]
Zeugma: [L., from Gr. , fr. to yoke, join. See Yoke.]
Zeugobranchiata: [NL., fr. Gr. to yoke + a gill.]
Zibet: [Cf. It. zibetto. See Civet.]
Zif: [Heb. ziv.]
Zigzag: [F. zigzag, G. zickzack, from zacke, zacken, a dentil, tooth. Cf. Tack a small nail.]
Zillah: [Ar. zila.]
Ziment-water: [G. cement-wasser. See Cement.]
Zinc: [G. zink, probably akin to zinn tin: cf. F. zinc, from the German. Cf. Tin.]
Zinciferous: [Zinc + -ferous.]
Zincify: [Zinc + -fy.]
Zinco-polar: [Zinco- + polar.]
Zincode: [Zinc + -ode, as in electrode.]
Zincography: [Zinco- + -graphy.]
Zincoid: [Zinc + -oid.]
zine: [shortened from magazine.]
Zingaro: [It.]
Zingiberaceous: [L. zingiber ginger. See Ginger.]
Zinkenite: [From Zinken, director at one time of the Hanoverian mines.]
Zinnia: [NL. So called after Professor Zinn, of Göttingen.]
Zinnwaldite: [So called after Zinnwald, in Bohemia, where it occurs.]
Zion: [Heb. tsīyōn, originally, a hill.]
Zionism: [Zion + -ism.]
Zip: [Imitative.]
zip code: [zone improvement plan.]
Zircon: [F., the same word as jargon. See Jargon a variety of zircon.]
Zircona: [NL.]
Zirconia: [NL.]
Zirconium: [NL.]
Zirconoid: [Zircon + oid.]
Zither: [G. zither. See Cittern.]
Zizania: [NL., from L. zizanium darnel, cockle, Gr. .]
Zizel: [G. ziesel.]
Zizith: [Heb. tsītsith.]
Zöllner's lines: [So called after Friedrich Zöllner, a German physicist.]
Zoëa: [NL., fr. Gr. life.]
Zoanthacea: [NL., from Gr. zw^,on an animal + flower.]
Zoantharia: [NL.]
Zoanthodeme: [See Zoantharia, and Deme.]
Zoanthoid: [See Zoantharia, and -oid.]
Zoanthropy: [Gr. animal + man.]
Zoanthus: [NL. See Zoantharia.]
Zobo: [Native name.]
Zocco: [It. fr. L. socculus. See Socle, and cf. Zacco.]
Zocor: [Trade name from Merck & Co.]
Zodiac: [F. zodiaque (cf. It. zodiaco), fr. L. zodiacus, Gr. (sc. ), fr. , dim. of zw^,on an animal, akin to living, to live.]
Zodiacal: [Cf. F. zodiacal.]
Zoetrope: [Gr. life + turning, from to turn.]
Zohar: [Heb. zōhar candor, splendor.]
Zoic: [Gr. .]
Zoisite: [After its discoverer, Von Zois, an Austrian mineralogist.]
Zoism: [Gr. zwh` life + -ism.]
Zollverein: [G., from zoll duty + verein union.]
Zona: [L., a girdle. See Zone.]
Zonal: [L. zonalis.]
Zonar: [Mod. Gr. a girdle, fr. Gr. , dim. of a girdle. See Zone.]
Zonaria: [NL.]
Zone: [F. zone, L. zona, Gr. zw`nh; akin to zwnny`nai to gird, Lith. jůsta a girdle, jůsti to gird, Zend yāh.]
Zonure: [Zone + Gr. tail.]
Zoochemistry: [Zoo- + chemistry.]
Zoochemy: [Zoo- + Gr. alchemy.]
Zoochlorella: [NL., dim. from Gr. zw^,on an animal + green.]
Zoocyst: [Zoo- + cyst.]
Zoocytium: [NL., fr. Gr. zw^,on an animal + a hollow vessel.]
Zoodendrium: [NL., fr. Gr. zw^,on an animal + a tree.]
Zooecium: [NL., fr. Gr. zw^,on an animal + house.]
Zooerythrine: [Zoo- + Gr. red.]
Zoogamous: [Zoo- + Gr. marriage.]
Zoogenic: [Zoo- + -gen + -ic: cf. Gr. born of an animal.]
Zoogeny: [Zoo- + root of Gr. to be born, offspring.]
Zoogeography: [Zoo- + geography.]
Zoogloea: [NL., from Gr. zw^,on an animal + any glutinous substance.]
Zoographic: [Cf. F. zoographique.]
Zoography: [Zoo- + -graphy: cf. F. zoographie.]
Zooid: [Zoo- + -oid.]
Zoolatry: [Zoo- + Gr. worship.]
Zoological: [Cf. F. zoologique.]
Zoologist: [Cf. F. zoologiste.]
Zoology: [Zoo- + -logy: cf. F. zoologie. See Zodiac.]
Zoomelanin: [Zoo- + melanin.]
Zoomorphic: [Zoo- + Gr. form.]
Zoon: [NL., fr. Gr. zw^,on an animal.]
Zoonic: [Gr. zw^,on an animal: cf. F. zoonique.]
Zoonomy: [Zoo- + Gr. a law: cf. F. zoonomie.]
Zoonule: [Dim. fr. Gr. zw^,on an animal.]
Zoopathology: [Zoo- + pathology.]
Zoophaga: [NL., fr. Gr. animal + to eat.]
Zoophagous: [Gr. ; zw^,on an animal + to eat.]
Zoophilist: [Zoo- + Gr. to love.]
Zoophoric: [Gr. ; zw^,on an animal + fe`rein to bear; cf. F. zoophorique.]
Zoophorous: [L., fr. Gr. . See Zoophoric.]
Zoophyta: [NL., from Gr. zw^,on an animal + fyto`n a plant.]
Zoophyte: [F. zoophyte, Gr. ; zw^,on an animal + plant, akin to to be born, to be. See Zodiac, and Be, v. i.]
Zoophytic: [Cf. F. zoophytique.]
Zoophytoid: [Zoophyte + -oid.]
Zoophytological: [Cf. F. zoophytologique.]
Zoophytology: [Zoophyte + -logy: cf. F. zoophytologie.]
Zoopraxiscope: [Zoo- + Gr. a doing, an acting (from to do) + -scope.]
Zoopsychology: [Zoo- + psychology.]
Zoosperm: [Zoo- + sperm.]
Zoosporangium: [NL. See Zoo-, and Sporangium.]
Zoospore: [Zoo- + spore.]
Zootic: [Gr. zw^,on an animal.]
Zootomical: [Cf. F. zootomique.]
Zootomist: [Cf. F. zootomiste.]
Zootomy: [Zoo- + Gr. to cut: cf. F. zootomie.]
Zootrophic: [Gr. . See Zoo-, and Trophic.]
Zoozoo: [Of imitative origin.]
Zope: [G.]
Zopilote: [Sp.]
Zorilla: [Sp. zorilla, zorillo, dim. of zorra, zorro, a fox: cf. F. zorille.]
Zoster: [L., fr. Gr. girdle, zoster. See Zone.]
Zostera: [NL.]
Zosterops: [NL., fr. Gr. girdle + , , the eye.]
Zouave: [F., fr. Ar. Zouaoua a tribe of Kabyles living among the Jurjura mountains in Algeria.]
Zounds: [Contracted from God's wounds.]
Zubr: [Polish żubr.]
Zuchetto: [It. zucchetto.]
Zufolo: [It.]
Zumbooruk: [Turk. & Ar. zambūrak, fr. Ar. zambūr a hornet.]
Zwanziger: [G.]
Zwieback: [G., fr. zwie- two, twice (see Twice) + backen to bake.]
Zygantrum: [Gr. a yoke + a cave, hole.]
Zygapophysis: [Gr. a yoke + E. apophysis.]
Zygenid: [Cf. Gr. , probably the hammer-headed shark.]
Zygobranchia: [NL., from Gr. zygo`n a yoke + a gill.]
Zygodactyl: [See Zygodactylic.]
Zygodactylae: [NL.]
Zygodactyli: [NL.]
Zygodactylic: [Gr. zygo`n a yoke, pair + finger, toe: cf. F. zygodactyle.]
Zygoma: [NL., fr. Gr. , fr. to yoke, zygo`n a yoke.]
Zygomatic: [Cf. F. zygomatique.]
Zygomorphic: [Gr. zygo`n a yoke + form.]
Zygophyte: [Gr. zygo`n a yoke + fyto`n a plant.]
Zygosis: [NL., fr. Gr. balancing, fr. zygo`n yoke.]
Zygosperm: [Gr. zygo`n a yoke + E. sperm.]
Zygosphene: [Gr. zygo`n a yoke + a wedge.]
Zygospore: [Gr. zygo`n a yoke + E. spore.]
Zylonite: [Gr. wood.]
Zymase: [From Zyme.]
Zyme: [Gr. leaven.]
Zymogen: [Zyme + -gen.]
Zymogene: [Zyme + root of Gr. to be born.]
Zymologic: [Cf. F. zymologique.]
Zymology: [Zyme + -logy: cf. F. zymologie.]
Zymolysis: [NL. See Zyme, and Lysis.]
Zymome: [Gr. zy`mwma a fermented mixture.]
Zymometer: [Gr. zy`mh ferment, or zy`mwsis fermentation + -meter: cf. F. zymosimètre.]
Zymophyte: [Zyme + Gr. fyto`n a plant.]
Zymoscope: [Zyme + -scope.]
Zymosis: [NL., fr. Gr. zymwtiko`s fermentation, fr. zy`mh ferment.]
Zymotic: [Gr. zymwtiko`s causing to ferment, fr. zymoy^n to ferment, zy`mh ferment, leaven.]
Zythepsary: [Gr. zy^qos a kind of beer + 'e`jein to boil.]
Zythum: [L., fr. Gr. zy^qos a kind of beer; -- so called by the Egyptians.]