z ['zē, Canad, Brit, & Austral 'zed, chiefly dial 'i-zərd] -n

  1. the 26th and last letter of the English alphabet
  2. a graphic representation of this letter
  3. a speech counterpart of orthographic z
  4. a graphic device for reproducing the letter z
  5. one designated zesp. as the 26th in order or class or the third in order or class when xis made the first
  6. something shaped like the letter Z
  7. wink usu. used in pl.
    • catch some z's before dinner
  8. zero
  9. zone

Z -n

  1. z particle
  2. zenith distance

za ['zä] -n

  1. pizza

za·ba·glio·ne [,zä-bəl-'yō-nē] -n

  1. a whipped dessert or topping consisting of a mixture of egg yolks, sugar, and usu. Marsala wine

Zach -abbr

  1. Zacharias

Zach·a·ri·as [,za-kə-'rī-əs] -n

  1. zechariah

zad·dik ['tsä-dik] -n

  1. a righteous and saintly person by Jewish religious standards
  2. the spiritual leader of a modern Hasidic community

zaf·tig ['zäf-tig, 'zȯf-] -adj

  1. having a full rounded figure : pleasingly plump

zag ['zag] -n

  1. one of the sharp turns, angles, or alterations in a zigzag course
  2. one of the short straight lines or sections of a zigzag course at an angle to a zig
  3. zig
  4. to execute a zag usu. contrasted with zig

zai·bat·su [,zī-'bät-,sü] -n

  1. a powerful financial and industrial conglomerate of Japan

zaire ['zī(-ə)r, zä-'ir] -n

  1. the basic monetary unit of Zaire 196796

zal·cit·a·bine [zal-'si-tə-,bēn, -,bīn] -n

  1. ddc

Zam·bo·ni [zam-'bō-nē] -trademark

  1. used for an ice resurfacing machine

za·mia ['zā-mē-ə] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Zamiaof the family Zamiaceae) of American cycads with a short thick woody base, a crown of palmlike leaves, and oblong cones

za·min·dar ['za-mən-,där, 'ze-; zə-,mēn-'där] -n

  1. a collector of the land revenue of a district for the government during the period of Mogul rule in India
  2. a feudal landlord in British India paying the government a fixed revenue

za·min·dari [,za-mən-'där-ē, ,ze-; zə-,mēn-] -n

  1. the system of landholding and revenue collection by zamindars
  2. the land held or administered by a zamindar

zan·der ['zan-dər, 'tsän-] -n

  1. a pike perch ( Stizostedion lucioperca) of central Europe related to the walleye

za·ny ['zā-nē] -n

  1. a subordinate clown or acrobat in old comedies who mimics ludicrously the tricks of the principal : merry-andrew
  2. a slavish follower : toady
  3. one who acts the buffoon to amuse others
  4. nut, kook

zany ['zā-nə-lē] -adj, adv, n

  1. being or having the characteristics of a zany
  2. fantastically or absurdly ludicrous
    • a zany movie

zap ['zap] -interj

  1. used to express a sound made by or as if by a gun
  2. used to indicate a sudden or instantaneous occurrence
  3. to get rid of, destroy, or kill esp. with or as if with sudden force
  4. to hit with or as if with a sudden concentrated application of force or energy
  5. to irradiate esp. with microwaves
  6. to propel suddenly or speedily
  7. to transport instantaneously
  8. to avoid watching (as a television commercial) by changing channels esp. with a remote control or by fast-forwarding a videotape
  9. to move with speed or force
  10. to change television channels using a remote control
  11. a pungent or zestful quality : zip
  12. a sudden forceful blow

za·pa·te·ado [,zä-pə-tā-'ä-(,)dō, ,sä-pə-tā-'au̇] -n

  1. a Latin-American dance marked by rhythmic stamping or tapping of the feet

za·pa·teo [,zä-pə-'tā-(,)ō, ,sä-] -n

  1. zapateado

Za·po·tec [,zä-pə-'tek, ,sä-] -n

  1. a member of an American Indian people of Oaxaca state, Mexico

zap·per ['za-pər] -n

  1. : one that zaps: as
  2. an electronic device designed to attract and kill insects
  3. a person who habitually changes channels (as to avoid commercials)
  4. a remote control device used for zapping

zap·py ['za-pē] -adj

  1. zippy

za·re·ba [zə-'rē-bə] -n

  1. an improvised stockade constructed in parts of Africa esp. of thorny bushes

zar·zue·la [,zär-zə-'wā-lə, ,zär-'zwā-] -n

  1. a usu. comic Spanish operetta

zax·is ['zē-,ak-səs; Canad, Brit, & Austral 'zed-] -n

  1. one of the axes in a three-dimensional rectangular coordinate system

za·yin ['zä-yən, 'zī(-ə)n] -n

  1. the 7th letter of the Hebrew alphabet