Zapata

American

[zuh-pah-tuh, sah-pah-tah] / zəˈpɑ tə, sɑˈpɑ tɑ /

noun

Emiliano 1877?–1919, Mexican revolutionary and agrarian reformer: guerrilla leader 1911–16.

Zapata British

/ θaˈpata, zəˈpɑːtə /

noun

Emiliano (emiˈljano). ?1877–1919, Mexican guerrilla leader

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

In early November, ICE agents in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, stopped a young father, Carlos Sebastian Zapata Rivera, as he drove with his family.

From Salon • Jan. 14, 2026

Zapata Rivera wouldn’t let go of either of them.

From Salon • Jan. 14, 2026

Cuellar called for a recount, and officials in Webb and neighboring Zapata counties found hundreds of untallied ballots—some 80% of them cast for Cuellar—that gave him the victory.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

Zapata is accused of driving a stolen Hyundai sports utility vehicle and colliding with a police cruiser that was being driven by 28-year-old Alec Sanders, an officer with the Alhambra Police Department.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2025

After a few squeaky misses, I overcame my reserve and tore my tonsils loose with a yell that would have been worthy of Zapata.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023