z | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

Z

not a native letter in Old English; in Anglo-French words it represents the "ts" sound (as in Anglo-French fiz, from Latin filius, modern Fitz); from late 13c. it began to be used for the voiced "s" sound and had fully taken that role by 1400. For letter name, see zed.

Thou whoreson Zed, thou vnnecessary Letter. ["King Lear," II.ii.69]

Series of zs to represent a buzzing sound first attested 1852; zees "spell of sleep, a nap" is slang first recorded 1963, American English student slang.

za (n.)

U.S. student slang shortening of pizza, attested from 1968.

Zacchaeus

masc. proper name, from Late Latin Zacchaeus, from Greek Zakkhaios, from Hebrew zakkay, literally "pure, innocent," from zakhah "was clean, was pure."

Zachariah

masc. proper name, Late Latin Zacharias, from Greek Zakharias, from Hebrew Zekharyahu, literally "the Lord has remembered," from zakhar "he remembered." Shortened familiarly to Zack or Zach.

zaftig (adj.)

"alluringly plump, curvaceous, buxom," 1937, from Yiddish zaftik, literally "juicy," from zaft "juice," from Middle High German saft "juice" (see sap (n.1)).

zag (v.)

1793, from zig-zag (q.v.).

zaibatsu

1937, from Japanese zaibatsu, from zai "wealth" + batzu "clique."

Zaire

African nation (1971-1997), from an early alternative name of the Congo River, from Kikongo nzai, dialectal form of nzadi "river."

zakat (n.)

obligatory Islamic tax for religious purposes, 1802, from Persian zakat, etc., from Arabic zakah.

Zamboni (n.)

proprietary name of a machine used to resurface ice skating rinks, 1957, trademark of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Paramount, Calif.

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