<HEAD><TITLE>DICTIONARY: z - zap pit</TITLE></HEAD>
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<A NAME="z">
<B>Z</B> (1) or <B>z, </B>noun, pl. <B>Z's</B> or <B>Zs,</B> <B>z's</B> or <B>zs.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the 26th and last letter of the English alphabet. <BR> <I>Ex. There are two z's in zigzag.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>any sound represented by this letter. <DD><B> 3. </B>used as a symbol for: <DD><B> a. </B>the 26th, or more usually the 25th (of an actual or possible series, either <I>I</I> or <I>J</I> being omitted). <DD><B> b. </B>an unknown quantity, especially in algebraic equations. <BR><I>expr. <B>from A to Z.</B> </I>See under <B>A</B> (1). </DL>
<A NAME="z">
<B>Z</B> (2), noun, pl. <B>Z's.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> anything shaped like the letter Z. <BR> <I>Ex. The road winds in a series of Z's.</I> </DL>
<B>za, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S. Slang.) pizza. <BR> <I>Ex. Nothing that can't be set to rights by nuking a little frozen za, of course (Fairfax Journal).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="zabaglione">
<B>zabaglione, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a sweet mixture of sugar, egg yolks, and wine cooked slightly, served hot or cold as a dessert, or as a sauce on puddings, fruits, and pastry. </DL>
<A NAME="zabaione">
<B>zabaione</B> or <B>zabajone, </B>noun. <B>=zabaglione.</B></DL>
<A NAME="zabulon">
<B>Zabulon, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (in the Douay Bible) Zebulun. </DL>
<A NAME="zacaton">
<B>zacaton, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> any one of several coarse grasses of the dry regions of the southwestern United States; sacaton. </DL>
<A NAME="zaccheus">
<B>Zaccheus</B> or <B>Zacchaeus, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a tax collector so short he had to climb a tree, because of the crowd, to see Jesus, and who later entertained Him at dinner (in the Bible, Luke 19:1-10). </DL>
<A NAME="zachariah">
<B>Zachariah, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a king of Israel (in the Bible, II Kings 15:8-11). <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=Zacharias.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="zacharias">
<B>Zacharias, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the father of John the Baptist (in the Bible, Luke 1:5). <DD><B> 2. </B>a Jewish priest mentioned as a martyr, slain "between the temple and the altar" (in the Bible, Matthew 23:35). <DD><B> 3. </B>in the Douay Bible: <DD><B> a. </B><B>=Zachariah.</B> <DD><B> b. </B><B>=Zachariah.</B> </DL>
<B>zaddik, </B>noun, pl. <B>zaddikim.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a holy man among the Jews; righteous or saintly man, especially a leader of the Hasidim. Also, <B>tzaddik.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="zaffer">
<B>zaffer,</B> <B>zaffre,</B> or <B>zaffir, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an impure oxide of cobalt, obtained by roasting cobalt ore, used as a blue coloring matter (cobalt blue) especially for pottery and glass. </DL>
<A NAME="zaftig">
<B>zaftig, </B>adjective. <B>=zoftig.</B></DL>
<A NAME="zag">
<B>zag, </B>noun, verb, <B>zagged,</B> <B>zagging.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Informal.) <DD><I>noun </I> a part, movement, or direction at an angle to that of a zig in a zigzag. <DD><I>v.i. </I> to move on the second turn of a zigzag. </DL>
<A NAME="zaibatsu">
<B>zaibatsu, </B>noun pl. or sing.<DL COMPACT><DD> the leading families of Japan, who control and direct most of the country's industries. </DL>
<A NAME="zaidi">
<B>Zaidi, </B>noun, pl. <B>-di</B> or <B>-dis.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a member of a Shiitic sect of Yemen. Also, <B>Zaydi.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="zaire">
<B>zaire, </B>noun, pl. <B>-ires</B> or <B>-ire.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the unit of money of Zaire, equal to 100 makuta. </DL>
<A NAME="zairian">
<B>Zairian</B> or <B>Zairean, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> of or having to do with Zaire or its people. <DD><I>noun </I> a native or inhabitant of Zaire. </DL>
<A NAME="zakat">
<B>zakat, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a portion of a Moslem's yearly income required to be set aside for alms. </DL>
<A NAME="zakuska">
<B>zakuska, </B>noun, pl. <B>-ki.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Russian.) an hors d'oeuvre; appetizer. </DL>
<A NAME="zambian">
<B>Zambian, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> of or having to do with Zambia (the former Northern Rhodesia) or its people. <DD><I>noun </I> a native or inhabitant of Zambia. </DL>
<A NAME="zambo">
<B>zambo, </B>noun, pl. <B>-bos.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the child of a black and an Indian in Spanish America (used in an unfriendly way). <DD><B> 2. </B>(U.S. Obsolete.) sambo (used in an unfriendly way). </DL>
<A NAME="zamboni">
<B>Zamboni, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> (Trademark.) a small tractor to smooth the surface of ice rinks. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to smooth (ice) with such a vehicle. </DL>
<A NAME="zambra">
<B>zambra, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a Spanish or Moorish dance. </DL>
<A NAME="zamia">
<B>zamia, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> any one of a group of tropical and subtropical American cycads, having a short, thick trunk, a crown of palmlike leaves, and oblong cones. </DL>
<A NAME="zamindar">
<B>zamindar, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> in India: <DD><B> 1. </B>(formerly) a native landlord who held land for which he paid tax directly to the British government. <DD><B> 2. </B>(under Mogul rule) a collector of revenue, required to pay a fixed sum on the tract or district assigned to him. Also, <B>zemindar.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="zamindari">
<B>zamindari, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the status or jurisdiction of a zamindar. <DD><B> 2. </B>the territory of a zamindar. <DD><B> 3. </B>the system of landholding and revenue collection under zamindars. Also, <B>zemindary.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="zander">
<B>zander, </B>noun, pl. <B>-ders</B> or (collectively) <B>-der.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a European perch valued as a food fish. </DL>
<A NAME="zanily">
<B>zanily, </B>adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD> in a zany manner. </DL>
<A NAME="zaniness">
<B>zaniness, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> zany quality or behavior. </DL>
<A NAME="zantecurrant">
<B>Zante currant,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a dried, small, seedless raisin used in puddings and bakery products. </DL>
<A NAME="zanthoxylum">
<B>zanthoxylum, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the bark of various shrubs or small trees of the madder family, used medicinally. </DL>
<A NAME="zany">
<B>zany, </B>noun, pl. <B>-nies,</B> adjective, <B>-nier,</B> <B>-niest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a fool; simpleton. <DD><B> 2. </B>a clown. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Archaic or Historical.) an assistant or attendant to a clown, acrobat, etc., who imitates his master in a ludicrously awkward way. <DD><I>adj. </I> that is, or is characteristic of, a zany; clownish; foolish; idiotic. </DL>
<A NAME="zanyish">
<B>zanyish, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> like a zany; foolish. </DL>
<B>Zanzibari, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> of or having to do with Zanzibar, an island, now part of Tanzania, on the east coast of Africa, or its people. <DD><I>noun </I> a native or inhabitant of Zanzibar. </DL>
<A NAME="zap">
<B>zap, </B>interjection, verb, <B>zapped,</B> <B>zapping,</B> noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Slang.) <DD><I>interj. </I> <B>1. </B>the sound of a sudden slap, blow, blast, etc. <DD><B> 2. </B>an exclamation, as of surprise. <BR> <I>Ex. "Zap!" he thought. "Wrong vaccine" (Time).</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to hit with, or as if with, a hard blow. <DD><B> 2. </B>to kill. <BR> <I>Ex. With its pistol grip and nubby barrel, the instrument looks like the handy ray gun with which Buck Rogers and Wilma used to zap Killer Kane (Time).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to beat; defeat. <BR> <I>Ex. They'll need the Army to zap those hoodlums (New York Times).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>Also, <B>zap out.</B> (U.S.) to switch off (unwanted parts of a television program or videotape) by zapping. <BR> <I>Ex. Viewers can happily zap the commercials they find insulting, irritating, or in poor taste (Harvard Business Review).</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>to move very fast. <DD><B> 6. </B>to give force to. <DD><B> 7. </B>to cook in a microwave; microwave. <BR> <I>Ex. Dinner was something zapped in the microwave and eaten on the run (New York Magazine).</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to move very fast; zip; zoom. <BR> <I>Ex. curious low cars blatting and zapping before us (Atlantic).</I> <DD><I>noun </I> vitality; force; zip. <BR> <I>Ex. The heat's too much and the gin's lost its zap (New York Times).</I> noun <B>zapper.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="zapateado">
<B>zapateado, </B>noun, pl. <B>-dos.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a dance of flamenco origin, in which the rhythm is marked chiefly by tapping with the feet, usually danced by men. </DL>
<A NAME="zapatista">
<B>Zapatista, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> a member of a group of Mexican revolutionaries located chiefly in the state of Chiapas. <DD><I>adj. </I> of or relating to the Zapatistas. </DL>
<A NAME="zapote">
<B>zapote, </B>noun. <B>=sapota.</B></DL>
<A NAME="zapotec">
<B>Zapotec, </B>noun, pl. <B>-tec</B> or <B>-tecs.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a member of an Indian people of southern Mexico whose culture shows both Mayan and Toltec influences. <BR> <I>Ex. The Maya, the Zapotecs, the Mixtecs, and the Aztecs evidently developed urban communities on a major scale (Scientific American).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the Zapotecan language of this people. </DL>
<A NAME="zapotecan">
<B>Zapotecan, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a group of related Indian languages of southern Mexico and Guatemala. <DD><B> 2. </B>any of various peoples speaking Zapotecan. <DD><I>adj. </I> of or having to do with the Zapotecans or their languages. </DL>
<A NAME="zapper">
<B>zapper, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a remote control for a television set or a videocassette player. <BR> <I>Ex. The people of America are armed with the zapper, the ... remote-control program annihilator (Details).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a person who uses a remote control. </DL>
<A NAME="zapping">
<B>zapping, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) the practice of switching off commercials from a television set by using a remote control unit or by advancing a program that had been taped on a videocassette. </DL>
<A NAME="zappit">
<B>zap pit,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a microscopic depression on surface rocks of the moon. <BR> <I>Ex. "Zap pits" ... were caused by the solar wind, cosmic particles, and micrometeorites (V. Gornitz and R. Jastrow).</I> </DL>
