Z () Z, the twenty-sixth and last letter of the English alphabet, is a vocal consonant. It is taken from the Latin letter Z, which came from the Greek alphabet, this having it from a Semitic source. The ultimate origin is probably Egyptian. Etymologically, it is most closely related to s, y, and j; as in glass, glaze; E. yoke, Gr. /, L. yugum; E. zealous, jealous. See Guide to Pronunciation, // 273, 274.
Za (n.) An old solfeggio name for B flat; the seventh harmonic, as heard in the or aeolian string; -- so called by Tartini. It was long considered a false, but is the true note of the chord of the flat seventh.
Zabaism (n.) Alt. of Zabism
Zabism (n.) See Sabianism.
Zabian (a. & n.) See Sabian.
Zacco (n.) See Zocco.
Zachun (n.) An oil pressed by the Arabs from the fruit of a small thorny tree (Balanites Aegyptiaca), and sold to piligrims for a healing ointment.
Zaerthe (n.) Same as Z/rthe.
Zaffer (n.) A pigment obtained, usually by roasting cobalt glance with sand or quartz, as a dark earthy powder. It consists of crude cobalt oxide, or of an impure cobalt arseniate. It is used in porcelain painting, and in enameling pottery, to produce a blue color, and is often confounded with smalt, from which, however, it is distinct, as it contains no potash. The name is often loosely applied to mixtures of zaffer proper with silica, or oxides of iron, manganese, etc.
Zaim (n.) A Turkish chief who supports a mounted militia bearing the same name.
Zaimet (n.) A district from which a Zaim draws his revenue.
Zain (n.) A horse of a dark color, neither gray nor white, and having no spots.
Zalambdodont (a.) Of or pertaining to a tribe (Zalambdodonta) of Insectivora in which the molar teeth have but one V-shaped ridge.
Zalambdodont (n.) One of the Zalambdodonta. The tenrec, solenodon, and golden moles are examples.
Zamang (n.) An immense leguminous tree (Pithecolobium Saman) of Venezuela. Its branches form a hemispherical mass, often one hundred and eighty feet across. The sweet pulpy pods are used commonly for feeding cattle. Also called rain tree.
Zambos (pl. ) of Zambo
Zambo (n.) The child of a mulatto and a negro; also, the child of an Indian and a negro; colloquially or humorously, a negro; a sambo.
Zamia (n.) A genus of cycadaceous plants, having the appearance of low palms, but with exogenous wood. See Coontie, and Illust. of Strobile.
Zamindar (n.) A landowner; also, a collector of land revenue; now, usually, a kind of feudatory recognized as an actual proprietor so long as he pays to the government a certain fixed revenue.
Zamindary (n.) Alt. of Zamindari
Zamindari (n.) The jurisdiction of a zamindar; the land possessed by a zamindar.
Zamite (n.) A fossil cycad of the genus Zamia.
Zamouse (n.) A West African buffalo (Bubalus brachyceros) having short horns depressed at the base, and large ears fringed internally with three rows of long hairs. It is destitute of a dewlap. Called also short-horned buffalo, and bush cow.
Zampogna (n.) A sort of bagpipe formerly in use among Italian peasants. It is now almost obsolete.
Zander (n.) A European pike perch (Stizostedion lucioperca) allied to the wall-eye; -- called also sandari, sander, sannat, schill, and zant.
Zandmole (n.) The sand mole.
Zante (n.) See Zantewood.
Zante currant () A kind of seedless grape or raisin; -- so called from Zante, one of the Ionian Islands.
Zantewood (n.) A yellow dyewood; fustet; -- called also zante, and zante fustic. See Fustet, and the Note under Fustic.
Zantewood (n.) Satinwood (Chloroxylon Swietenia).
Zantiot (n.) A native or inhabitant of Zante, one of the Ionian Islands.
Zanies (pl. ) of Zany
Zany (n.) A merry-andrew; a buffoon.
Zany (v. t.) To mimic.
Zanyism (n.) State or character of a zany; buffoonery.
Zaphara (n.) Zaffer.
Zaphrentis (n.) An extinct genus of cyathophylloid corals common in the Paleozoic formations. It is cup-shaped with numerous septa, and with a deep pit in one side of the cup.
Zapotilla (n.) See Sapodilla.
Zaptiah (n.) A Turkish policeman.
Zarathustrian (a.) Alt. of Zarathustric
Zarathustric (a.) Of or pertaining to Zarathustra, or Zoroaster; Zoroastrian.
Zarathustrism (n.) See Zoroastrianism.
Zaratite (n.) A hydrous carbonate of nickel occurring as an emerald-green incrustation on chromite; -- called also emerald nickel.
Zareba (n.) An improvised stockade; especially, one made of thorn bushes, etc.
Zarnich (n.) Native sulphide of arsenic, including sandarach, or realgar, and orpiment.
Zarthe (n.) A European bream (Abramis vimba).
Zati (n.) A species of macaque (Macacus pileatus) native of India and Ceylon. It has a crown of long erect hair, and tuft of radiating hairs on the back of the head. Called also capped macaque.
Zauschneria (n.) A genus of flowering plants. Zauschneria Californica is a suffrutescent perennial, with showy red flowers much resembling those of the garden fuchsia.
Zax (n.) A tool for trimming and puncturing roofing slates.
Zayat (n.) A public shed, or portico, for travelers, worshipers, etc.
Zea (n.) A genus of large grasses of which the Indian corn (Zea Mays) is the only species known. Its origin is not yet ascertained. See Maize.
Zeal (n.) Passionate ardor in the pursuit of anything; eagerness in favor of a person or cause; ardent and active interest; engagedness; enthusiasm; fervor.
Zeal (n.) A zealot.
Zeal (v. i.) To be zealous.
Zealant (n.) One who is zealous; a zealot; an enthusiast.
Zealed (a.) Full of zeal; characterized by zeal.
Zealful (a.) Full of zeal.
Zealless (a.) Wanting zeal.
Zealot (n.) One who is zealous; one who engages warmly in any cause, and pursues his object with earnestness and ardor; especially, one who is overzealous, or carried away by his zeal; one absorbed in devotion to anything; an enthusiast; a fanatical partisan.
Zealotical (a.) Like, or suitable to, a zealot; ardently zealous.
Zealotism (n.) The character or conduct of a zealot; zealotry.
Zealotist (n.) A zealot.
Zealotry (n.) The character and behavior of a zealot; excess of zeal; fanatical devotion to a cause.
Zealous (a.) Filled with, or characterized by, zeal; warmly engaged, or ardent, in behalf of an object.
Zealous (a.) Filled with religious zeal.
Zebec (n.) See Xebec.
Zebra (n.) Either one of two species of South African wild horses remarkable for having the body white or yellowish white, and conspicuously marked with dark brown or brackish bands.
Zebrawood (n.) A kind of cabinet wood having beautiful black, brown, and whitish stripes, the timber of a tropical American tree (Connarus Guianensis).
Zebrawood (n.) The wood of a small West Indian myrtaceous tree (Eugenia fragrans).
Zebrawood (n.) The wood of an East Indian tree of the genus Guettarda.
Zebrine (a.) Pertaining to, or resembling, the zebra.
Zebu (n.) A bovine mammal (Ros Indicus) extensively domesticated in India, China, the East Indies, and East Africa. It usually has short horns, large pendulous ears, slender legs, a large dewlap, and a large, prominent hump over the shoulders; but these characters vary in different domestic breeds, which range in size from that of the common ox to that of a large mastiff.
Zebub (n.) A large noxious fly of Abyssinia, which like the tsetse fly, is destructive to cattle.
Zechin (n.) See Sequin.
Zechstein (n.) The upper division of the Permian (Dyas) of Europe. The prevailing rock is a magnesian limestone.
Zed (n.) The letter Z; -- called also zee, and formerly izzard.
Zedoary (n.) A medicinal substance obtained in the East Indies, having a fragrant smell, and a warm, bitter, aromatic taste. It is used in medicine as a stimulant.
Zeekoe (n.) A hippopotamus.
Zehner (n.) An Austrian silver coin equal to ten kreutzers, or about five cents.
Zein (n.) A nitrogenous substance of the nature of gluten, obtained from the seeds of Indian corn (Zea) as a soft, yellowish, amorphous substance.
Zemindar (n.) Same as Zamindar.
Zemindary (n.) Alt. of Zemindari
Zemindari (n.) Same as Zamindary.
Zemni (n.) The blind mole rat (Spalax typhlus), native of Eastern Europe and Asia. Its eyes and ears are rudimentary, and its fur is soft and brownish, more or less tinged with gray. It constructs extensive burrows.
Zenana (n.) The part of a dwelling appropriated to women.
Zend (n.) Properly, the translation and exposition in the Huzv/resh, or literary Pehlevi, language, of the Avesta, the Zoroastrian sacred writings; as commonly used, the language (an ancient Persian dialect) in which the Avesta is written.
Zend-Avesta (n.) The sacred writings of the ancient Persian religion, attributed to Zoroaster, but chiefly of a later date.
Zendik (n.) An atheist or unbeliever; -- name given in the East to those charged with disbelief of any revealed religion, or accused of magical heresies.
Zenick (n.) A South African burrowing mammal (Suricata tetradactyla), allied to the civets. It is grayish brown, with yellowish transverse stripes on the back. Called also suricat.
Zenik (n.) See Zenick.
Zenith (n.) That point in the visible celestial hemisphere which is vertical to the spectator; the point of the heavens directly overhead; -- opposed to nadir.
Zenith (n.) hence, figuratively, the point of culmination; the greatest height; the height of success or prosperity.
Zenithal (a.) Of or pertaining to the zenith.
Zeolite (n.) A term now used to designate any one of a family of minerals, hydrous silicates of alumina, with lime, soda, potash, or rarely baryta. Here are included natrolite, stilbite, analcime, chabazite, thomsonite, heulandite, and others. These species occur of secondary origin in the cavities of amygdaloid, basalt, and lava, also, less frequently, in granite and gneiss. So called because many of these species intumesce before the blowpipe.
Zeolitic (a.) Of or pertaining to a zeolite; consisting of, or resembling, a zeolite.
Zeolitiform (a.) Having the form of a zeolite.
Zephyr (n.) The west wind; poetically, any soft, gentle breeze.
Zephyrus (n.) The west wind, or zephyr; -- usually personified, and made the most mild and gentle of all the sylvan deities.
Zequin (n.) See Sequin.
Zerda (n.) The fennec.