zephyr
[ zef-er ]
/ ˈzɛf ər /
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noun
a gentle, mild breeze.
(initial capital letter)Literary. the west wind.
any of various things of fine, light quality, as fabric, yarn, etc.
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QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”
Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.
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Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?
Origin of zephyr
First recorded before 1000 for def. 2; Middle English, from Latin zephyrus, from Greek zéphyros “the west wind”; replacing Middle English zeferus, zephirus, Old English zefferus, from Latin as above
synonym study for zephyr
1. See wind1.
Words nearby zephyr
Zeno's paradox, zeolite, Zeph., Zephaniah, Zephiran, zephyr, zephyranthes, zephyr cloth, zephyrean, Zephyrinus, Zephyrus
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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
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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.