zephyr
[ zef-er ]
/ ˈzɛf ər /
noun
a gentle, mild breeze.
(initial capital letter) Literary. the west wind.
any of various things of fine, light quality, as fabric, yarn, etc.
QUIZZES
HEED THE VOX POPULI, AND TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!
Test your memory on these verbal firecrackers from the week of June 29 to July 5!
Question 1 of 7
anchorite
Origin of zephyr
before 1000 for def 2; Middle English < Latin zephyrus < Greek zéphyros the west wind; replacing Middle English zeferus, zephirus, Old English zefferus < Latin as above
Words nearby zephyr
zenobia, zeolite, zeph., zephaniah, zephiran, zephyr, zephyr cloth, zephyr worsted, zephyr yarn, zephyranthes, zephyrean
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for zephyr
British Dictionary definitions for zephyr
zephyr
/ (ˈzɛfə) /
noun
a soft or gentle breeze
any of several delicate soft yarns, fabrics, or garments, usually of wool
Word Origin for zephyr
C16: from Latin zephyrus, from Greek zephuros the west wind; probably related to Greek zophos darkness, west
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
Cultural definitions for zephyr
Zephyr
[ (zef-uhr) ]
The Greek and Roman god of the west wind, considered the most pleasant of the winds.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.