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ZAMINDAR=_Zemindar_ (q.v.).

ZAMOUSE, za-moos', _n._ the short-horned buffalo of West Africa.

ZAMPOGNA, tsam-p[=o]'nya, _n._ the Italian bagpipe. [It.]

ZANDER, zan'd[.e]r, _n._ the European pike-perch.--Also SAN'DER and ZANT.

[Ger.]

ZANELLA, z[=a]-nel'a, _n._ a mixed twilled fabric for covering umbrellas.

ZANJE, than'h[=e], _n._ an irrigating canal.--_n._ ZANJ[=E]'RO, one who superintends the distribution of such water. [Sp. Amer.]

ZANTE, zan'te, _n._ the same as ZAN'TE-WOOD, the wood of the smoke-tree, from _Zante_, one of the principal Ionian Islands: satin-wood.--_n._ ZAN'TIOTE, a native of Zante.--ZANTE CURRANT, the small seedless fruit of a Zante grape.

ZANY, z[=a]'ni, _n._ a merry-andrew: a buffoon.--_v.t._ to play the zany to.--_n._ Z[=A]'NYISM, condition or habits of a buffoon. [Fr. _zani_--It.

_zani_, a corr. of _Giovanni_, John. Cf. the similar use of the names _John_ and _Jack_.]

ZAPOROGIAN, z[=a]-p[=o]-r[=o]'ji-an, _adj._ pertaining to those Little Russian or Ukraine Cossacks who dwelt near the _Porogi_ or falls of the Dnieper.--_n._ one of the foregoing.

ZAPOTILLA, zap-[=o]-til'a, _n._ the same as Sapodilla.

ZAPTIEH, zap'ti-[=a], _n._ a Turkish policeman.--Also ZAB'TIEH.

ZARAPE, za-ra'pe, _n._ the same as SERAPE.

ZARATHUSTRIAN, zar-a-th[=oo]s'tri-an, _adj._ and _n._=_Zoroastrian_.--ZARATHUS'TRIANISM, ZARATHUS'TRISM=_Zoroastrianism_; ZARATHUS'TRIC=_Zoroastric_.

ZARATITE, zar'a-t[=i]t, _n._ a hydrous carbonate of nickel, found usually as an incrustation on chromite. [From _Zarate_, a Spaniard.]

ZAREBA, z[=a]-r[=e]'ba, _n._ in the Soudan, a stockade, thorn-hedge, &c.

against wild animals or enemies, a fortified camp generally.--Also ZAREE'BA, ZERE'BA, ZERI'BA.

ZARF, zarf, _n._ an ornamental holder for a hot coffee-cup.--Also ZURF.

[Ar. _zarf_, a vessel.]

ZARNICH, zar'nik, _n._ a native sulphide of arsenic, orpiment, realgar.--Also ZAR'NEC. [Ar. _zernikh_--Gr. _arsenikon_, arsenic.]

ZARZUELA, thar-th[=oo]-[=a]'la, _n._ a kind of operetta or vaudeville--named from the royal residence of La _Zarzuela_ in Spain.

ZASTRUGA, zas-tr[=oo]'ga, _n._ one of a series of long parallel snow-ridges on the open wind-swept plains of Russia. [Russian.]

ZATI, za'ti, _n._ the capped macaque of India and Ceylon.

ZAX, zaks, _n._ a slaters' hammer.--Also _Sax_ (q.v.).

ZEA, z[=e]'a, _n._ a cereal having monoecious flowers. The only species is _Z. mays_, the well-known maize or Indian corn. [Gr.]

ZEAL, z[=e]l, _n._ boiling or passionate ardour for anything: enthusiasm.--_n._ ZEAL'ANT (_Bacon_), a zealot or enthusiast.--_adj._ ZEAL'LESS, wanting zeal.--_ns._ ZEALOT (zel'ot), one full of zeal: an enthusiast: a fanatic: one of a fanatical Jewish party whose restless opposition to the Roman domination finally brought about the ruin of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.; ZEALOTISM (zel'-), the character of a zealot; ZEALOTRY (zel'-).--_adj._ ZEALOUS (zel'-), full of zeal: warmly engaged or ardent in anything.--_adv._ ZEALOUSLY (zel'-).--_n._ ZEALOUSNESS (zel'-).

[O. Fr. _zele_--L. _zelus_--Gr. _z[=e]los_, _zeein_, to boil. Cf. _Yeast_.]

ZEBEC, ZEBECK=_Xebec_ (q.v.).

ZEBRA, z[=e]'bra, _n._ a generic name given to the group of striped Equidae--all of which are peculiar to the African continent--and thus including the Dauw or Burchell's Zebra, the Quagga, and the true or Mountain Zebra.--_n._ Z[=E]'BRA-WOOD, the hard and beautifully striped wood of a Guiana tree.--_adj._ Z[=E]'BRINE, like the zebra. [Of African origin.]

ZEBU, z[=e]'b[=u], _n._ the humped domestic ox of India (or Brahminy bull), a kind of ox very nearly allied to the common ox, diffused over India, China, the east coast of Africa, &c. [Fr. _zebu_, the whimsical name taken by Buffon from the exhibitors of such a beast at a French fair as if African.]

ZEBUB, z[=e]'bub, _n._ an Abyssinian fly hurtful to cattle, similar to the tsetse. [Ar. _zub[=a]b_, a fly.]

ZECCHINO, tsek-k[=e]'n[=o], _n._ a Venetian gold coin, the same as the _sequin_ (q.v.).

ZECHSTEIN, zek'st[=i]n, _n._ a deposit of calcareous rock which covers the Kupfer-schiefer. [Ger.,--_zeche_, a mine, _stein_, a stone.]

ZED, zed, _n._ the letter Z, also called _zee_ and _izzard_: a bar of metal of form similar to the letter Z.

ZEDOARY, zed'[=o]-[=a]-ri, _n._ certain species of curcuma, natives of India, China, &c., whose root-stocks (_rhizomes_) are aromatic, bitter, pungent, and tonic, and used for similar purposes with ginger--a powerful sudorific. [Ar. _Jedwar_.]

ZEIN, z[=e]'in, _n._ a proteid found in Indian corn. [_Zea_.]

ZEITGEIST, ts[=i]t'g[=i]st, _n._ the spirit of the age. [Ger.]

ZEL, zel, _n._ a form of Oriental cymbal. [Pers. _zil_.]

ZELOTYPIA, zel-[=o]-tip'i-a, _n._ morbid zeal in the prosecution of any project or cause. [Gr. _z[=e]lotypia_, jealousy, _z[=e]los_, zeal, _typtein_, to strike.]

ZEMINDAR, zem-in-dar', _n._ under the Mogul emperors of India, the farmer of revenue from land held in common by the cultivators, as responsible for the revenue--now the actual native proprietor paying revenue direct, and not to any intermediate superior--also ZAMINDAR'.--_n._ ZEM'INDARY, the jurisdiction of a zemindar, the system of land-tenure and taxation under such--also ZAM'INDARI, ZEM'INDARI, &c. [Pers. _zem[=i]nd[=a]r_, a landholder.]

ZEMSTVO, zems'tv[=o], _n._ in Russia, a district and provincial assembly to which the administration of the economic affairs of the district and the province was committed in 1866, but whose rights were much curtailed in 1890. [Russ.]

ZENANA, ze-na'na, _n._ the apartments in which Indian women are secluded, corresponding to the _harem_ in Arabic-speaking Moslem lands.--ZENANA MISSION, a mission to Hindu women, necessarily conducted by women. [Pers.

_zan[=a]na_--_zan_, a woman.]

ZEND, zend, _n._ the ancient East-Iranian and purely Aryan language, in which the Zend-Avesta was long orally preserved and at last written--closely related to the Vedic Sanskrit.--ZEND-AVESTA, the ancient sacred writings of the Parsees, including works of widely differing character and age, collected into their present canon under Shah-puhar II.

(Shah-pur II.; 309-338 A.D.). [A word meaning 'commentary' (_zend_=_zand_, from Sans. _jna_, to know).]

ZENDIK, zen'dik, _n._ an unbeliever in revealed religion in the East, one who practises magic. [Ar. _zend[=i]q_.]

ZENITH, zen'ith, _n._ that point of the heavens which is exactly overhead--i.e. in line with the spectator's position and the centre of the earth (it is thus the upper pole of the spectator's horizon, as the _nadir_ is the under pole): greatest height, summit of ambition, &c.--_adj._ ZEN'ITHAL.--_ns._ ZEN'ITH-DIS'TANCE, the angular distance of a heavenly body from the zenith; ZEN'ITH-SEC'TOR, an instrument for measuring zenith-distances. [Fr., through Sp. _zenit_, from Ar. _samt_, short for _samt-ur-ras_, lit. 'way of the head.']

ZEOLITE, z[=e]'[=o]-l[=i]t, _n._ the common name of a large group of minerals often called the Zeolitic family--they are all soluble in acids, and most of them gelatinise in acids in consequence of silica being set free.--_adjs._ ZEOLIT'IC; ZEOLIT'IFORM. [Gr. _zeein_, to boil, _lithos_, a stone.]

ZEPHYR, zef'ir, _n._ the west wind: a soft, gentle breeze: thin light worsted or woollen yarn, also a close-fitting jersey or undergarment made of such: anything very light and fine of its kind.--ZEPHYR CLOTH, a thin, finely spun woollen cloth for women's gowns. [Gr. _zephyros_--_zophos_, darkness, the dark quarter, the west.]

ZERDA, zer'da, _n._ a small African fox, a fennec.

ZEREBA=_Zareba_ (q.v.).

ZERO, z[=e]'ro, _n._ cipher: nothing: the point from which the reckoning begins on scales, such as those of the barometer, &c. [Fr.,--Ar. _sifr_.

Doublet _cipher_.]

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