Zulu

American  

[zoo-loo] / ˈzu lu /

noun

plural

Zulus,

plural

Zulu

1. a member of a Nguni people living mainly in Natal, Republic of South Africa.

2. the Bantu language of the Zulu.

3. a word used in communications to represent the letter Z.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Zulus or their language.

Zulu British  

/ -luː, ˈzuːlʊ /

noun

1. a member of a tall Negroid people of SE Africa, living chiefly in South Africa, who became dominant during the 19th century due to a warrior-clan system organized by the powerful leader, Shaka

2. the language of this people, belonging to the Bantu group of the Niger-Congo family, closely related to Swazi and Xhosa

3. communications a code word for the letter z

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Etymology

Origin of Zulu

from Zulu amaZulu people of the sky

Example Sentences

He translates the song’s lyrics from Zulu and Xhosa, two of South Africa’s 12 national languages, and offers a broader critique on the film.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

“That’s not how you sing it, don’t mess up our language like that,” Jonasi says, before singing the correct lyrics in Zulu.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

Cultural expert Prof Musa Xulu is also quick to add that it would be wrong to regard KwaZulu-Natal as a Zulu province.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2026

In September, a private investigator allegedly hired by the Zambian government visited the morgue and demanded to see the deceased, according to family spokesman Makebi Zulu.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 4, 2025

He had become chief minister of the KwaZulu homeland with the tacit support of the ANC, and even his launching of Inkatha as a Zulu cultural organization was unopposed by the organization.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela