1790–1800; < Hindi zila < Persian ẓilaʿ < Arabic ḍilʿ part
From Hebrew Ṣillāh, possibly “shadow”
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Not unfrequently we would meet in the zillah of a morning, when we would invariably make for the nearest patch of grass or jungle, and enjoy a hunt together.
From Sport and Work on the Nepaul Frontier Twelve Years Sporting Reminiscences of an Indigo Planter by Inglis, James
When I first went to India we used to take out our pig-spear over the zillah with us as a matter of course, as we never knew when we might hit on a boar.
From Sport and Work on the Nepaul Frontier Twelve Years Sporting Reminiscences of an Indigo Planter by Inglis, James
Daily, nay almost hourly, reports come in from all parts of the zillah: now you hear of 'Lahee,' blight on some field; now it is 'Ihirka,' scorching, or 'Pilooa,' caterpillars.
From Sport and Work on the Nepaul Frontier Twelve Years Sporting Reminiscences of an Indigo Planter by Inglis, James
In British India the word is used to represent the zillah, an administrative subdivision of a province or presidency.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 5 "Dinard" to "Dodsworth" by Various
On the 19th of February, 1830, at noon, a heavy fall of fish occurred at the Nokulhatty factory, in the Daccah zillah; depositions on the subject were obtained from nine different parties.
From Ceylon; an Account of the Island Physical, Historical, and Topographical with Notices of Its Natural History, Antiquities and Productions, Volume 1 by Tennent, James Emerson, Sir
A fire destroyed wine in storage at Mas Chappell, a small winery in Zillah, on Wednesday morning, according to Yakima County Fire District No. 5.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 22, 2023
O’Neill, jockey Mario Gutierrez and owners Paul and Zillah Reddam won the 2016 Kentucky Derby with Nyquist, who is the sire of Slow Down Andy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2023
When Yakima County resident Emma Argo became pregnant with her third child last summer, she hoped to deliver at Astria Toppenish, a community hospital less than 10 minutes from her home in Zillah.
From Seattle Times ● May 14, 2023
They are back on the court this winter for Zillah, and their mother plans to be at this season’s game against Connell.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 18, 2021
Zillah has bought a number of towels in different shades and run them repeatedly through the dryer, to get shades of pink, of gray-green, of off-white, as well as the standard undemeath-the-bed gray.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
