Z Z (zē; in England commonly, and in America sometimes , zĕd; formerly, also , ĭz"zĕrd) 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 gla ss , gla z e; English y oke, Greek ..., Latin y ugum; English z ealous, j ealous. See Guide to Pronunciation , §§ 273, 274.

Za Za noun (Min.) An old solfeggio name for B flat; the seventh harmonic, as heard in the or æolian string; -- so called by Tartini. It was long considered a false, but is the true note of the chord of the flat seventh. H. W. Poole.

Zabaism, Zabism Za"ba·ism, Za"bism noun See Sabianism .

Zabian Za"bi·an adjective & noun See Sabian .

Zacco Zac"co noun (Architecture) See Zocco .

Zachun Za·chun" noun (Botany) An oil pressed by the Arabs from the fruit of a small thorny tree ( Balanites Ægyptiaca ), and sold to piligrims for a healing ointment. J. Smith (Dict. Econ. Plants).

Zaerthe Zaer"the noun (Zoology) Same as Zärthe .

Zaffer Zaf"fer noun [ French zafre , safre ; confer Spanish zafra , safra , Italian saffera , German zaffer ; all probably of Arabic origin. Confer Zaphara .] 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. [ Written also zaffre , and formerly zaffree , zaffar , zaffir .]

Zaim Zaim noun [ Turk. & Arabic za'īm .] A Turkish chief who supports a mounted militia bearing the same name. Smart.

Zaimet Zaim"et noun [ Turk. & Arabic za'īmet .] A district from which a Zaim draws his revenue. Smart.

Zain Zain noun A horse of a dark color, neither gray nor white, and having no spots. Smart.

Zalambdodont Za·lamb"do·dont adjective (Zoology) Of or pertaining to a tribe ( Zalambdodonta ) of Insectivora in which the molar teeth have but one V-shaped ridge.

Zalambdodont Za·lamb"do·dont noun One of the Zalambdodonta . The tenrec, solenodon, and golden moles are examples.

Zamang Za·mang" noun (Botany) 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 . J. Smith (Dict. Econ. Plants).

Zambo Zam"bo noun ; plural Zambos . [ See Sambo .] 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 Za"mi·a noun [ Latin zamia a kind of fir cone, from Greek ..., ..., hurt, damage. See Plin. xvi. 44.] (Botany) A genus of cycadaceous plants, having the appearance of low palms, but with exogenous wood. See Coontie , and Illust. of Strobile .

Zamindar Zam`in·dar" noun [ Hind. zemīndār , zamīndār , a landholder, Persian zamīndār ; zamīn land dār holding.] 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. [ Written also zemindar .] [ India]

Zamindary, Zamindari Zam"in·da·ry, Zam"in·da·ri noun The jurisdiction of a zamindar; the land possessed by a zamindar. [ Written also zemindary , zemindari .]

Zamite Za"mite noun (Paleon.) A fossil cycad of the genus Zamia.

Zamouse Za·mouse" noun [ From a native name.] (Zoology) 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 Zam·po"gna noun [ Italian ] (Mus.) A sort of bagpipe formerly in use among Italian peasants. It is now almost obsolete. [ Written also zampugna .]

Zander Zan"der noun [ Confer Dutch zand sand.] (Zoology) A European pike perch ( Stizostedion lucioperca ) allied to the wall-eye; -- called also sandari , sander , sannat , schill , and zant .

Zandmole Zand"mole` noun [ Confer Dutch zand sand. See Sand , and Mole the animal.] (Zoology) The sand mole.

Zante Zan"te noun (Botany) See Zantewood .

Zante currant Zan"te cur"rant A kind of seedless grape or raisin; -- so called from Zante , one of the Ionian Islands.

Zantewood Zan"te·wood` noun (Botany) (a) A yellow dyewood; fustet; -- called also zante , and zante fustic . See Fustet , and the Note under Fustic . (b) Satinwood ( Chloroxylon Swietenia ).

Zantiot Zan"ti·ot noun A native or inhabitant of Zante, one of the Ionian Islands.

Zany Za"ny noun ; plural Zanies . [ Italian zanni a buffoon, merry- andrew, orig. same as Giovanni John, i. e. , merry John, Latin Ioannes , Greek ..., Hebrew Yōkhānān , prop., the Lord graciously gave: confer French zani , from the Italian. Confer Jenneting .] A merry-andrew; a buffoon.

Then write that I may follow, and so be
Thy echo, thy debtor, thy foil, thy zany .

Donne.

Preacher at once, and zany of thy age.

Pope.

Zany Za"ny transitive verb To mimic. [ Obsolete]

Your part is acted; give me leave at distance
To zany it.

Massinger.

Zanyism Za"ny·ism noun State or character of a zany; buffoonery. Coleridge. H. Morley.

Zapas Za·pas" noun [ Russian ] See Army organization , above.

Zapatera Za`pa·te"ra noun [ Spanish aceituna zapatera .] (Olive trade) A cured olive which has spoiled or is on the verge of decomposition; loosely, an olive defective because of bruises, wormholes, or the like.

Zaphara Zaph"a·ra noun Zaffer.

Zaphrentis Za·phren"tis noun [ New Latin ] (Paleon.) 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 Zap`o·til"la noun (Botany) See Sapodilla .

Zaptiah Zap"ti·ah noun A Turkish policeman. [ Written also zaptieh .]

Zarathustrian, Zarathustric Zar`a·thus"tri·an, Zar`a·thus"tric adjective Of or pertaining to Zarathustra, or Zoroaster; Zoroastrian. Tylor.

Zarathustrism Zar`a·thus"trism noun See Zoroastrianism .

Zaratite Zar"a·tite noun (Min.) [ Named after Gen. Zarata of Spain.] A hydrous carbonate of nickel occurring as an emerald-green incrustation on chromite; -- called also emerald nickel .

Zareba Za·re"ba noun (Mil.) An improvised stockade; especially, one made of thorn bushes, etc. [ Written also zareeba , and zeriba .] [ Egypt]

"Ah," he moralizes, "what wonderful instinct on the part of this little creature to surround itself with a zareba like the troops after Osman Digma."

R. Jefferies.

Zarf Zarf noun [ Arabic ] (Art) A metallic cuplike stand used for holding a finjan.

Zarnich Zar"nich noun [ French, from Arabic az- zernīkh , from Greek .... See Arsenic .] (Min.) Native sulphide of arsenic, including sandarach, or realgar, and orpiment.

Zastrugi Zas·tru"gi noun plural ; sing. - ga . [ Russian zastruga furrow made on the shore by water.] Grooves or furrows formed in snow by the action of the wind, and running parallel with the direction of the wind. This formation results from the erosion of transverse waves previously formed.

Zati Za"ti noun (Zoology) 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 Zau·schne"ri·a noun [ New Latin , named for M. Zauschner , a Bohemian botanist.] (Botany) A genus of flowering plants. Zauschneria Californica is a suffrutescent perennial, with showy red flowers much resembling those of the garden fuchsia.

Zax Zax (zăks) noun A tool for trimming and puncturing roofing slates. [ Written also sax .]

Zayat Za"yat noun A public shed, or portico, for travelers, worshipers, etc. [ Burmah]

Zea Ze"a (zē"ȧ) noun [ Latin , a kind of grain, from Greek ze`a , zeia` ; confer Sanskrit yava barley.] (Botany) 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 Zeal (zēl) noun [ French zèle ; confer Portuguese & Italian zelo , Spanish zelo , celo ; from Latin zelus , Greek ..., probably akin to ... to boil. Confer Yeast , Jealous .] 1. Passionate ardor in the pursuit of anything; eagerness in favor of a person or cause; ardent and active interest; engagedness; enthusiasm; fervor. "Ambition varnished o'er with zeal ." Milton. " Zeal , the blind conductor of the will." Dryden. " Zeal's never-dying fire." Keble.

I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

Rom. x. 2.

A zeal for liberty is sometimes an eagerness to subvert with little care what shall be established.

Johnson. 2. A zealot. [ Obsolete] B. Jonson.

Zeal Zeal intransitive verb To be zealous. [ Obsolete & R.] Bacon.