English Words Starting With Z

• zurvan

  nounExtremely rare
  /ˈzɜːvæn/An early Zoroastrian deity representing infinite time and fate, often as the father of the twin spirits Ahura Mazda (good) and Angra Mainyu (evil).
• zurvanism

  nounC2+ / Obscure
  /ˈzɜː.vəˌnɪ.zəm/A Zoroastrian heresy or dualistic doctrine that postulates Zurvan (Infinite Time) as the supreme deity and source of both the good god Ahura Mazda and the evil spirit Angra Mainyu.
• zuyder zee

  nounVery low
  /ˌzaɪdə ˈzeɪ/A former shallow bay of the North Sea in the northwest Netherlands.
• zuz

  nounVery Rare
  /zʊz/An ancient silver coin used in Judea during the Roman and Talmudic periods, particularly referenced in Jewish religious texts and law.
• zweig

  nounLow (C1+ level word in English; more common in technical, literary, or academic contexts)
  /tsvaɪɡ/A branch or offshoot of a tree, plant, or organization; a subdivision or specialized part.
• zwickau

  nounLow
  /ˈtsvɪkaʊ/A city in the state of Saxony, Germany.
• zwicky

  nounVery Low
  /ˈzwɪki/An extremely rare surname or potential proper noun; most famously associated with Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky.
• zwieback

  nounRare
  /ˈzwiːbak/A type of crisp, baked bread or rusk, often double-baked to be dry and hard, originally made for long storage or easy digestion.
• zwingli

  nounC2
  /ˈzwɪŋli/Huldrych Zwingli, a 16th-century Swiss priest and key leader of the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland.
• zwinglian

  adjectivenounC2
  /ˈzwɪŋ.li.ən/relating to Huldrych Zwingli (1484–1531), a major leader of the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland.
• zwischenzug

  nounVery Low / Technical
  /ˈtsvɪʃənˌtsuːɡ/An intermediate move in chess, typically an unexpected and forcing move made in the middle of a planned sequence of exchanges.
• zwitterion

  nounLow (Technical/Specialist)
  /ˈtsvɪtərˌaɪən/A molecule that has both positive and negative electrical charges (ions), making it neutral overall.
• zwolle

  nounVery Low
  /ˈzwɒlə/ or /ˈzwɒl/A city in the northeastern Netherlands, the capital of the province of Overijssel.
• zworykin

  nounExtremely low (proper noun; specialist technical/historical contexts only)
  /ˈzwɒr.ɪ.kɪn/A proper noun, the surname of Vladimir Zworykin (1889–1982), a Russian-American inventor, engineer, and pioneer of television technology.
• zyban

  nounLow
  /ˈzaɪbæn/A prescription medication (bupropion) used primarily for smoking cessation.
• zydeco

  nounLow frequency; known within specific cultural, musical, and regional contexts but not in general everyday vocabulary.
  /ˈzaɪ.dɪ.kəʊ/A style of lively music originating among the Creole population of southwestern Louisiana, blending blues, rhythm and blues, and indigenous Louisiana French dance music, typically played on accordion and a washboard.
• zygapophysis

  nounVery Low
  /ˌzɪɡəˈpɒfɪsɪs/A small, paired, articular process on a vertebra that forms a synovial joint with the vertebra above or below.
• zygodactyl

  adjectivenounRare/Very Low Frequency
  /ˌzʌɪɡə(ʊ)ˈdaktɪl/Having two toes pointing forward and two pointing backward, as in parrots or woodpeckers.
• zygogenesis

  nounVery Low
  /ˌzaɪɡə(ʊ)ˈdʒɛnɪsɪs/The formation of a zygote by the union of two gametes; the initial development of an organism from a fertilized egg.
• zygoma

  nounC2
  /zaɪˈɡəʊ.mə/The bony arch of the cheek formed by the zygomatic bone and the temporal bone.

Showing 521–540 of 568 words.