-- Zeal"ous*ly, adv. -- Zeal"ous*ness, n.
Ze"bec (?), n. (Naut.) See Xebec.
Ze"bra (?), n. [Pg. zebra; cf. Sp. cebra; probably from a native African name.] (Zoöl.) Either one of two species of South African wild horses remarkable for having the body white or yellowish white, and conspicuously marked with dark brown or brackish bands.
The true or mountain zebra (Equus, or Asinus, zebra) is nearly white, and the bands which cover the body and legs are glossy black. Its tail has a tuft of black hair at the tip. It inhabits the mountains of Central and Southern Africa, and is noted for its wariness and wildness, as well as for its swiftness. The second species (Equus, or Asinus, Burchellii), known as Burchell's zebra, and dauw, inhabits the grassy plains of South Africa, and differs from the preceding in not having dark bands on the legs, while those on the body are more irregular. It has a long tail, covered with long white flowing hair.
Zebra caterpillar, the larva of an American noctuid moth (Mamestra picta). It is light yellow, with a broad black stripe on the back and one on each side; the lateral stripes are crossed with withe lines. It feeds on cabbages, beets, clover, and other cultivated plants. -- Zebra opossum, the zebra wolf. See under Wolf. -- Zebra parrakeet, an Australian grass parrakeet, often kept as a cage bird. Its upper parts are mostly pale greenish yellow, transversely barred with brownish black crescents; the under parts, rump, and upper tail coverts, are bright green; two central tail feathers and the cheek patches are blue. Called also canary parrot, scallop parrot, shell parrot, and undulated parrot. -- Zebra poison (Bot.), a poisonous tree (Euphorbia arborea) of the Spurge family, found in South Africa. Its milky juice is so poisonous that zebras have been killed by drinking water in which its branches had been placed, and it is also used as an arrow poison. J. Smith (Dict. Econ. Plants). -- Zebra shark. Same as Tiger shark, under Tiger. -- Zebra spider, a hunting spider. -- Zebra swallowtail, a very large North American swallow-tailed butterfly (Iphiclides ajax), in which the wings are yellow, barred with black; -- called also ajax. -- Zebra wolf. See under Wolf.
Ze"bra*wood` (?), n. (a) A kind of cabinet wood having beautiful black, brown, and whitish stripes, the timber of a tropical American tree (Connarus Guianensis). (b) The wood of a small West Indian myrtaceous tree (Eugenia fragrans). (c) The wood of an East Indian tree of the genus Guettarda.
Ze"brine (?), a. (Zoöl.) Pertaining to, or resembling, the zebra.
Ze"bu (?), n. [&?;. zébu; of uncertain origin.] (Zoöl.) A bovine mammal (Ros Indicus) extensively domesticated in India, China, the East Indies, and East Africa. It usually has short horns, large pendulous ears, slender legs, a large dewlap, and a large, prominent hump over the shoulders; but these characters vary in different domestic breeds, which range in size from that of the common ox to that of a large mastiff.
Some of the varieties are used as beasts of burden, and some fore for riding, while others are raised for their milk and flesh. The Brahmin bull, regarded as sacred by the Hindoos, also belongs to this species. The male is called also Indian bull, Indian ox, Madras ox, and sacred bull.
Ze"bub (?), n. (Zoöl.) A large noxious fly of Abyssinia, which like the tsetse fly, is destructive to cattle.
Ze"chin (?; 277), n. See Sequin.
||Zech"stein` (?), n. [Gr., fr. zeche a mine + stein a stone.] (Geol.) The upper division of the Permian (Dyas) of Europe. The prevailing rock is a magnesian limestone.
Zed (?), n. [F., probably through It. zeta, fr. L. zeta. See Zeta.] The letter Z; -- called also zee, and formerly izzard. "Zed, thou unnecessary letter!" Shak.
Zed"o*a*ry (?), n. [F. zédoaire, LL. zedoaria; cf. It. zedoaria, zettovario, Pg. zedoaria, Sp. zedoaria, cedoaria; all fr. Ar. & Per. zedw&?;r.] (Med.) A medicinal substance obtained in the East Indies, having a fragrant smell, and a warm, bitter, aromatic taste. It is used in medicine as a stimulant.
It is the rhizome of different species of Curcuma, esp. C. zedoaria, and comes in short, firm pieces, externally of a wrinkled gray, ash-colored appearance, but within of a brownish red color. There are two kinds, round zedoary, and long zedoary.
||Zee"koe (?), n. [D., sea cow, lake cow.] (Zoöl.) A hippopotamus.
||Zeh"ner (?), n. [G.] An Austrian silver coin equal to ten kreutzers, or about five cents.
Ze"in (?), n. [Cf. F. zéïne. See Zea.] (Chem.) A nitrogenous substance of the nature of gluten, obtained from the seeds of Indian corn (Zea) as a soft, yellowish, amorphous substance. [Formerly written zeine.]
Zem`in*dar" (?), n. Same as Zamindar.
{ Zem"in*da*ry (?), ||Zem"in*da*ri (?) }, n. Same as Zamindary.
Zem"ni (?), n. (Zoöl.) The blind mole rat (Spalax typhlus), native of Eastern Europe and Asia. Its eyes and ears are rudimentary, and its fur is soft and brownish, more or less tinged with gray. It constructs extensive burrows.
||Ze*na"na (?), n. [Hind. zenna, zanna, fr. Per. zanna, fr. zan woman; akin to E. queen.] The part of a dwelling appropriated to women. [India]
Zend (?), n. [See Zend-Avesta.] Properly, the translation and exposition in the Huzvâresh, or literary Pehlevi, language, of the Avesta, the Zoroastrian sacred writings; as commonly used, the language (an ancient Persian dialect) in which the Avesta is written.
||Zend`-A*ves"ta (?), n. [Properly, the Avesta, or sacred text, and its zend, or interpretation, in a more modern and intelligible language. W. D. Whitney.] The sacred writings of the ancient Persian religion, attributed to Zoroaster, but chiefly of a later date.
||Zen"dik (?), n. [Ar. zandk.] An atheist or unbeliever; -- name given in the East to those charged with disbelief of any revealed religion, or accused of magical heresies.
Ze"nick (?), n. (Zoöl.) A South African burrowing mammal (Suricata tetradactyla), allied to the civets. It is grayish brown, with yellowish transverse stripes on the back. Called also suricat.
Ze"nik (?), n. (Zoöl.) See Zenick.
Ze"nith (?; 277), n. [OE. senyth, OF. cenith, F. zénith, Sp. zenit, cenit, abbrev. fr. Ar. samt-urras way of the head, vertical place; samt way, path + al the + ras head. Cf. Azimuth.]
1. That 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 summer's day; and with the setting sun
Dropped from the zenith, like a falling star.
Milton.
2. hence, figuratively, the point of culmination; the greatest height; the height of success or prosperity.
I find my zenith doth depend upon
A most auspicious star.
Shak.
This dead of midnight is the noon of thought,
And wisdom mounts her zenith with the stars.
Mrs. Barbauld.
It was during those civil troubles . . . this aspiring family reached the zenith.
Macaulay.
Zenith distance. (Astron.) See under Distance. -- Zenith sector. (Astron.) See Sector, 3. -- Zenith telescope (Geodesy), a telescope specially designed for determining the latitude by means of any two stars which pass the meridian about the same time, and at nearly equal distances from the zenith, but on opposite sides of it. It turns both on a vertical and a horizontal axis, is provided with a graduated vertical semicircle, and a level for setting it to a given zenith distance, and with a micrometer for measuring the difference of the zenith distances of the two stars.
Ze"nith*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to the zenith. "The deep zenithal blue." Tyndall.
Ze"o*lite (?), n. [Gr. &?; to boil + -lite: cf. F. zéolithe.] (Min.) A term now used to designate any one of a family of minerals, hydrous silicates of alumina, with lime, soda, potash, or rarely baryta. Here are included natrolite, stilbite, analcime, chabazite, thomsonite, heulandite, and others. These species occur of secondary origin in the cavities of amygdaloid, basalt, and lava, also, less frequently, in granite and gneiss. So called because many of these species intumesce before the blowpipe.
Needle zeolite, needlestone; natrolite.
Ze`o*lit"ic (?), a. Of or pertaining to a zeolite; consisting of, or resembling, a zeolite.
Ze`o*lit"i*form (?), a. Having the form of a zeolite.
Zeph"yr (?), n. [L. zephyrus, Gr. &?;, akin to &?; darkness, the dark side, west: cf. F. zéphyr.] The west wind; poetically, any soft, gentle breeze. "Soft the zephyr blows." Gray.
As gentle
As zephyrs blowing below the violet.
Shak.
Zephyr cloth, a thin kind of cassimere made in Belgium; also, a waterproof fabric of wool. -- Zephyr shawl, a kind of thin, light, embroidered shawl made of worsted and cotton. -- Zephyr yarn, or worsted, a fine, soft kind of yarn or worsted, - - used for knitting and embroidery.
||Zeph"y*rus (?), n. [L. See Zephyr.] The west wind, or zephyr; -- usually personified, and made the most mild and gentle of all the sylvan deities.
Mild as when Zephyrus on Flora breathes.
Milton.
Ze"quin (?), n. See Sequin.
||Zer"da (?), n. [Of African origin.] (Zoöl.) The fennec.
||Ze*ri"ba (?), n. (Mil.) Same as Zareba.
Ze"ro (?), n.; pl. Zeros (#) or Zeroes. [F. zéro, from Ar. çafrun, çifrun, empty, a cipher. Cf. Cipher.]