z
abbreviation
zone.
z
1 Americanabbreviation
z
2
American
Symbol, Mathematics.
-
an unknown quantity or variable.
-
(in Cartesian coordinates) the z- axis.
Z
3
American
[zee, zed, iz-erd]
/ zi, zɛd, ˈɪz ərd /
Or
z
noun
-
Z's,
plural
-
Zs,
plural
-
z's,
plural
-
zs
plural
-
the 26th letter of the English alphabet, a consonant.
-
any spoken sound represented by the letter Z or z, as in zero, zigzag, or buzzer.
-
something having the shape of a Z .
-
a written or printed representation of the letter Z or z.
-
a device, as a printer's type, for reproducing the letter Z or z.
Z
4
American
Z
5
American
Symbol.
-
the 26th in order or in a series.
-
(sometimes lowercase) the medieval Roman numeral for 2000.
-
Chemistry, Physics. atomic number.
-
Electricity. impedance.
z.
6
American
abbreviation
Z
1
British
symbol
-
any unknown, variable, or unspecified factor, number, person, or thing
-
chem atomic number
-
physics impedance
-
zone
-
currency zaïre
abbreviation
z
2
British
/ ziː, zɛd /
noun
-
the 26th and last letter and the 20th consonant of the modern English alphabet
-
a speech sound represented by this letter, in English usually a voiced alveolar fricative, as in zip
-
-
something shaped like a Z
-
( in combination )
a Z-bend in a road
-
z
3
British
symbol
-
the z- axis or a coordinate measured along the z- axis in a Cartesian or cylindrical coordinate system
-
an algebraic variable
z
Idioms
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
For example: “If we do this, could it prevent us from reaching the revenue target because x, y and z might happen?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025
Fyfield Manor, near Wallingford in Oxfordshire, posted a video to its TikTok page on Monday with the caption: "When you ask your gen z daughter to write the marketing script."
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2024
We don’t say, “OK, you’re paying x, y, z bill, you’re paying x, y, z, though I don’t know what you make and I don’t know what you have in the bank.”
From Slate ● Mar. 9, 2024
"The dumbbell thus acts a bit like the needle on a compass, allowing us to read off the z coordinate according to its orientation," says Prof. Dr. Dieter Meschede.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 5, 2024
I’m not sure why he feels the need to use hashtags and spell perfectly innocent words with a z, but he’s one of those teachers you don’t bother questioning.
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
“You need to go have X, Y and Z done. You’re at an age, it’s possible; it’s likely that it’s not, but you need to go get checked.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
This was the only method of transportation to become more common among Gen Z adults during this period.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
Sports investing was especially popular among family offices with a Gen Z or millennial principal, according to a new study.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
To make the most of the buzz around the World Cup, Beal said brands would be smart to engage Gen Alpha—and their Gen Z or millennial parents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
Z returned, awkwardly shuffling his feet, his hands hanging helplessly by his sides.
From "Ruby Holler" by Sharon Creech
“Miles, without a z. My apologies for the stuff I said about your dad in our battle.”
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
This is always a case simply of imperfections in h and z. a.
From The Mind of the Child, Part II The Development of the Intellect, International Education Series Edited By William T. Harris, Volume IX. by William T. Preyer
For further details, see C. Rose, Beitr. z. vergl.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 2 "Hearing" to "Helmond" by Various
Pronounce the s like z. shame, etc., was ashamed and was quietly making a hole in the shingle roof so as to get away.
From Jamaican Song and Story Annancy stories, digging sings, ring tunes, and dancing tunes by Walter Jekyll
J, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, y, z. until you have covered all the consonants.
From What Every Singer Should Know by Millie Ryan
The picture that emerges from a recent survey is more conventional than Generation Z’s reputation for speculative investing might suggest.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
But Freek Wallagh, a 28-year-old artist and organizer based in Amsterdam, said he sees a lack of Gen Z’s interest in Burning Man as a “sign of the times.”
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
Only a mint green handbag and full sleeves of tattoos suggested that Gen Z’s reigning rock star had settled in to talk about his new album “Oh Yeah?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Using a phone instead of a laptop to take a job interview is not only a sign of a shift in workplace culture, it’s also emblematic of Gen Z’s relationship with devices.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Kaitlin could barely keep her arms around Z’s neck, which meant the guy had no hands to grab anything to help him make the climb down.
From "Time Bomb" by Joelle Charbonneau
“The Gen Alphas for sure, and the younger Gen Zs, they’re still making decisions about brands they like, brands they prefer. They also have a huge influence on what is trending.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
Lin’s fellow Gen Zs, as well as millennials, are taking to premium credit cards at a particularly rapid pace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
While the Gym Group reported 44% of Gen Zs saying they work out to socialise with friends in 2025, compared with 37% the previous year.
From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2026
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers debate one of the great questions of our time: Do Gen Zs even get checks?
From Slate ● Sep. 7, 2024
He always curled the tip of his Ks, and his Zs looked like chubby 3s.
From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda
It’s like a mini sensory deprivation pod, perfect for catching some z’s mid-flight.
From Salon ● Dec. 16, 2024
Horses have specialized anatomical features that enable them to stay on their hooves while catching some z's.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 12, 2023
Next to my bed, I played an eight-hour recording of someone snoring like a runaway freight train, while I wore the Sleepbuds to see whether I could still catch some z’s.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 26, 2018
Finally, ties were broken based on things like which word was the most fun to say or whether any of the word choices included especially cool letters like z’s or w’s.
From Slate ● Sep. 2, 2015
Namely, because Pacheco could not stand the way Onofre, reading aloud in Spanish, pronounced his c s and z’s.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
This is Siesta of a Hungarian Snake: s sz sz SZ sz SZ sz Zs zs Zs zs zs z Morgan was born into a middle-class family in Hyndland, in Glasgow's west end.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 19, 2010
Almost immediately, on a shortwave band, they can hear someone talking in a strange language full of zs and s’s.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
C or cz is pronounced as English ts; cs as English ch; ds as English j; zs as French j; gy as dy.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 8 "Hudson River" to "Hurstmonceaux" by Various
They think if they talk like they had an egg in there mouth an put in lots of zs its French.
From "Same old Bill, eh Mable!" by G. William Breck
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
