zephyr
noun
a gentle, mild breeze.
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zephyr
American
[zef-er]
/ ˈzɛf ər /
noun
-
a gentle, mild breeze.
-
(initial capital letter) the west wind.
-
any of various things of fine, light quality, as fabric, yarn, etc.
zephyr
British
/ ˈzɛfə /
noun
-
a soft or gentle breeze
-
any of several delicate soft yarns, fabrics, or garments, usually of wool
Zephyr
Cultural
Related Words
See wind 1.
Etymology
Origin of zephyr
First recorded before 1000 zephyr 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
Explanation
Besides being the name of Babar's monkey friend in the much-beloved picture books about the elephant Babar, a zephyr is a gentle breeze. In Greek mythology, Zephuros was the god of the west wind, and the bringer of light and early spring breezes. Zephyr derives from his name. That first day of spring, where suddenly you don't have to wear your jacket to school for the first time all winter? Thank the zephyr for that.
Vocabulary lists containing zephyr
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
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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.
Indulge yourself with handcrafted, artisanal, small-batch chocolates, including yuzu pâte de fruit, sesame crunch, honey ganache and cinnamon zephyr ganache flavors.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 16, 2023
Needless to say, if you just want breeze through life, make the Zero Breeze* your personal zephyr TODAY!
From Golf Digest • Jun. 27, 2017
“Arrival” Anthony Lane reviewed the movie: “What lingers from this alien encounter is neither the wizardry nor the climax but the zephyr of emotional intensity that blows through the film.”
From The New Yorker • Jan. 24, 2017
The once-soft air is now an ever-sturdier wall; any gentle zephyr a gale, volatile and tricky.
From The Verge • Feb. 9, 2016
“I thought, last year, that I loved you—but that was as a zephyr to a gale, compared to this engulfing, enveloping worship of now,” she wrote.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
