zealot
[zel-uht]
- a person who shows zeal.
- an excessively zealous person; fanatic.
- (initial capital letter) a member of a radical, warlike, ardently patriotic group of Jews in Judea, particularly prominent from a.d. 69 to 81, advocating the violent overthrow of Roman rule and vigorously resisting the efforts of the Romans and their supporters to heathenize the Jews.
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Origin of zealot
1530–40; earlier zelote < Late Latin zēlōtēs < Greek zēlṓtēs, equivalent to zēlō- (variant stem of zēloûn to be zealous; see zeal) + -tēs agent suffix
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for zealot
Contemporary Examples
Kirsten Powers talks to the author of 'Zealot' about the double standard.
For me,” said Pacino, “it was always the opportunity just to be able to explore the whole idea of a zealot.
Clad in black, Al Pacino tells Gina Piccalo he loved playing Jack Kevorkian because he was a "zealot."
I was sure the owner committed the cardinal sin of improperly storing his wine, and I smote him with all the fervor of a zealot.
The more confident right-wing Republicans become, the more likely they will nominate a Palin-like zealot in 2012.
Historical Examples
He realized that Strom was a zealot, and he knew he would not hesitate to kill.
In the Orbit of SaturnRoman Frederick Starzl
But thrice woe to the artisan who makes himself the zealot of the Dogma!
The Parisians, CompleteEdward Bulwer-Lytton
The old man's voice was again the rapt and fiery utterance of the zealot.
The Roof TreeCharles Neville Buck
I observed the trial of a zealot who had been burned for heresy.
Adventures in the Moon, and Other WorldsJohn Russell Russell
But the zealot Solomon Petit met with unexpected opposition.
History of the Jews, Vol. III (of 6)Heinrich Graetz
zealot
- an immoderate, fanatical, or extremely zealous adherent to a cause, esp a religious one
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Word Origin
C16: from Late Latin zēlōtēs, from Greek, from zēloun to be zealous, from zēlos zeal
Zealot
- any of the members of an extreme Jewish sect or political party that resisted all aspects of Roman rule in Palestine in the 1st century ad
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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
Word Origin and History for zealot
n.
c.1300, "member of a militant 1st century Jewish sect which fiercely resisted the Romans in Palestine," from Late Latin Zelotes, from Greek zelotes "one who is a zealous follower," from zeloun "to be zealous," from zelos "zeal" (see zeal). Extended sense of "a fanatical enthusiast" first recorded 1630s.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper