Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Zē'bub, n. p. 1536(Entom.) A large, noxious fly of Abyssinia.Zē'chin, n. p. 1536An Italian gold coin; a sequin. See SEQUIN.Zēch'stein, n. p. 1536(Geol.) A magnesian limestone of the Permian period. Dana.Zēd, n. p. 1536The letter Z;— called also izzard. [Obs.] Shak.Zēd'o-a-ry, n. p. 1536(Med.) A medicinal substance obtained in the East Indies, having a fragrant smell, and a warm, bitter, aromatic taste, used in medicine as a stimulant. ☞ It is the root of a species of Cucuma, and…Zē'ine, n. p. 1536(Chem.) The gluten of maize; a substance of a yellowish color, soft, insipid, and elastic, procured from the seeds of the Zea mays, or Indian corn. Gorham.Zēm'in-dār', n. p. 1536A feudatory or landholder under the government, with the right of underletting the land, and certain other privileges, leading to much oppression. [India.] Malcom.Zēm’in-da-ry, n. p. 1536The jurisdiction of a zemindar.Zēm'-zēm, n. p. 1536The holy well in Mecca.Ze-nā'nā, n. p. 1536The part of a dwelling appropriated to women in the East Indies. Burke.Zēnd, n. p. 1536Properly, the translation into the Huzvāresh, or Pehlevi, language, of the Avesta, the Zoroastrian scriptures; as commonly used, the language, an ancient Persian dialect, in which the Avesta is…Zēnd' a-vĕs'tā, n. p. 1536The Scriptures of the ancient Persian religion, attributed to Zoroaster, but in fact chiefly or altogether of a later date.Zēn'dīk, n. p. 1536An atheist or unbeliever;—a name given, in the East, to those charged with atheism, or rather with disbelief of any revealed religion, or accused of magical heresies. Brande.Zē'nik, n. p. 1536(Zoöl.) A certain African quadruped; the suricate. See SURICATE.Zē'nith, n. p. 1536That point in the visible celestial hemisphere which is vertical to the spectator; the point of the heavens directly overhead;—opposed to nadir. From morn To noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve, A…Zē'nith-al, a. p. 1536Of, or pertaining to, the zenith. “The deep zenithal blue.” Tyndall.Zē'o-lite, n. p. 1536(Min.) A mineral species in the early works on mineralogy, now subdivided into several, both on chemical and crystallographical grounds. Some of them are stilbite, natrolite, apophyllite, scolecite…Zē'o-lit'ic, a. p. 1536Of, or pertaining to, zeolite; consisting of zeolite, or resembling it.Zē'o-lit'i-fōrm, a. p. 1536Having the form of zeolite.Zēph'yr, n. p. 1536The west wind; and poetically, any soft, mild, gentle breeze. As gentle As zephyrs blowing below the violet. Shak. Zephyr cloth, a kind of kerseymere made in Belgium; a water-proof fabric.—Zephyr…Zēph'y-rŭs, n. p. 1536The west wind, or zephyr;—personified by the poets, and made the most mild and gentle of all the sylvan deities. Mild as when Zephyrus on Flora breathes. Milton.Zēr'dā, n. p. 1536(Zoöl.) A canine quadruped of Africa, with large, ears; fennec; the Canis (or Megalotis) zerda.Zē′ro, n. p. 1537Cipher; nothing; naught; the point from which the graduation, as of a thermometer, commences. Zero, in the thermometers of Celsius and Réaumur, is at the point at which water congeals. The zero of…Zĕst, n. p. 1537A piece of orange or lemon peel, used to give flavor to liquor, or the fine, thin oil that spurts out of it when squeezed. 2. Hence, something that gives or enhances a pleasant taste, or the taste…Zĕst, v. t. p. 1537To cut into thin slips, as the peel of an orange, lemon, &c.; or to squeeze, as peel over the surface of any thing. 2. To give a relish or flavor to; to heighten the taste or relish of.Zē'tă, n. p. 1537[Lat., Gr. ζῆτα.] A Greek letter, ζ or ς, corresponding to our z. 2. [Lat. zeta, diæta, from Gr. δίαιτα, life, mode of life, dwelling.] (Arch.) A little closet or chamber, with pipes running along…Ze-tĕt'ic, a. p. 1537That seeks; that proceeds by inquiry.Zetetic method p. 1537the method used for finding the value of unknown quantities by direct search, in investigation, or the solution of problems. [Rare.] Hutton.Ze-tĕt'ic, n. p. 1537A seeker;— a name adopted by some Pyrrhonists.Ze-tĕt'ĭcs, n. sing. p. 1537(Math.) A branch of algebra which relates to the direct search for unknown quantities. [See Note under MATHEMATICS.] P. Cyc.Ze·ti·e'n-lā, n. p. 1537(Arch.) A small withdrawing room.Zeŭg'lo-dōn, n. p. 1537(Paleon.) A genus of aquatic cetaceous mammals, now extinct, remains of which have been found in Georgia and Alabama.Zeüg'mă, n. p. 1537(Gram.) A figure by which an adjective or verb, which agrees with a nearer word, is, by way of supplement, referred also to another more remote; as, “hic illius arma, hic currus fuit;” where fuit…Zeüg-măt'ic, a. p. 1537Of, or pertaining to, the grammatical figure called zeugma. Ellicott.Zēy'lan-īte, n. p. 1537(Min.) The same as CEYLANITE, q. v.Zhō, n. p. 1537(Zoöl.) A domestic animal common in the Himalayas.Zīb'et, n. p. 1537A digitigrade carnivorous mammal (the Viverra zibetha), a small quadruped, somewhat resembling the weasel. It inhabits both India and Africa. It is distinct from the civet, though nearly allied to it.Ziē'gā, n. p. 1537Curd produced from milk by adding acetic acid, after rennet has ceased to cause coagulation. Brande.Zĭg'zăg, a. p. 1537Having short, sharp turns; running this way and that in an onward course.Zĭg'zăg, n. p. 1537Something that has short turns or angles. “The fanatics going straightforward and openly, the politicians by the surer mode of zigzag.” Burke. 2. (Arch.) A chevron or molding running in a zigzag…Zig'zăg, v. t. p. 1537To form with short turns.Zig'zăg-ger-y, n. p. 1537The quality of being zigzag; crookedness. [Rare.] “The zigzaggery of my father's approaches.” Sterne.Zil'lah, n. p. 1537A district or local division of a country in India. Simmonds.Zĭm′ent-wa′ter, n. p. 1537A kind of water found in copper-mines; water impregnated with copper.Zīnc, n. p. 1537(Min.) A metal of a brilliant white color, with a shade of blue, and appearing as if composed of plates adhering together; spelter. It is not brittle, but less malleable than copper, lead, or tin.…Zinc'-ām/yle, n. p. 1537(Chem.) A colorless, transparent liquid, composed of zinc and amyle, which when exposed to the atmosphere emits fumes, and absorbs oxygen with rapidity. Miller.Zinc'-blēnde, n. p. 1537(Min.) A native sulphuret of zinc, often containing some iron, occurring crystallized, massive, or in other forms, and of various colors, but usually yellowish, red, brown, or black; blende. Dana.Zinc'-blōom, n. p. 1537(Min.) An opaque mineral, of a dull luster and white, grayish, or yellowish color, consisting chiefly of carbonic acid, oxide of zinc, and water. Dana.Zĭnc'-ēth'yl, n. p. 1537(Chem.) A colorless, transparent, poisonous liquid, which takes fire spontaneously on exposure to the atmosphere, composed of zinc and ethyl. Miller.Zin-cif'fer-ōūs or Zīnk-if'fer-ōūs, a. p. 1537Containing or affording zinc; as, zinciferous ore. [Written also zinciferous.]Zinc'ite, n. p. 1537(Min.) A brittle, translucent mineral, of a deep-red color, sometimes inclining to yellowish, and consisting chiefly of oxide of zinc, but containing also a small quantity of oxide of manganese, to…Zinc'-mĕth'yl, n. p. 1537(Chem.) A volatile liquid consisting of two equivalents of carbon, three of hydrogen, and one of zinc. It takes fire spontaneously on exposure to the atmosphere. Its vapors are very poisonous.…Zinc'ōde, n. p. 1537(Elec.) The positive pole of a galvanic battery.Zinc-ōg'ra-pher, n. p. 1537An engraver on zinc. Simmonds.Zinc'-o-grāph'ic or Zinc'-o-grāph'ic-al, a. p. 1537Of, or pertaining to, zincography.Zinc-ōg'ra-phy, n. p. 1537Engraving on zinc in the style of wood-cuts. Dana.Zinc'ōus, a. p. 1537Of, or pertaining to, zinc; pertaining to the positive pole of a galvanic battery; electro-positive. Graham.Zĭnc'-vĭt'ri-ol, n. p. 1537(Chem.) Sulphate of zinc; white vitriol.Zĭnc'-whīte, n. p. 1537The oxide of zinc, a pigment largely used in the place of white-lead, being free from poisonous qualities. Simmonds.Zĭnk, n. p. 1537See ZINC.