Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - Letter Z

Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - Letter Z - Page 3

Zittern (n.) (Min.) See Cittern.

Compare: Cittern

Cittern (n.) (Mus.) 西特恩（類似吉他的梨形古樂器，流行於十五至十八世紀） An instrument shaped like a lute, but strung with wire and played with a quill or plectrum. [Written also cithern.] -- Shak.

Note: Not to be confounded with zither.

Cittern (n.) A 16th century musical instrument resembling a guitar with a pear-shaped soundbox and wire strings [syn: cittern, cithern, cither, citole, gittern].

Zizania (n.) (Bot.) A genus of grasses including Indian rice. See Indian rice, under Rice.

Zizania (n.) Wild rice [syn: Zizania, genus Zizania].

Zizel (n.) (Zool.) The suslik. [Written also zisel.]

Zoanthacea (n. pl.) (Zool.) A suborder of Actinaria, including Zoanthus and allied genera, which are permanently attached by their bases.

Zoantharia (n. pl.) [NL.] (Zool.) 六放珊瑚亞綱 Same as Anthozoa.

Zoantharian (a.) (Zool.) Of or pertaining to the Zoantharia.

Zoantharian (n.) One of the Anthozoa.

Zoanthodeme (n.) (Zool.) The zooids of a compound anthozoan, collectively.

Zoanthoid (a.) (Zool.) Of or pertaining to the Zoanthacea.

Zoanthropy (n.) (Med.) 【醫】變獸妄想 A kind of monomania in which the patient believes himself transformed into one of the lower animals.

Zoanthropy (n.) The delusion that you have assumed the form of an animal.

Compare: Delusion

Delusion (n.) 迷惑，欺騙 [U]；受騙，上當 [U]；誤會，錯覺；妄想症 [C] The act of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind. -- Pope.

Delusion (n.) The state of being deluded or misled.

Delusion (n.) That which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief.

And fondly mourned the dear delusion gone. -- Prior.

Syn: Delusion, Illusion.

Usage: These words both imply some deception practiced upon the mind. Delusion is deception from want of knowledge; illusion is deception from morbid imagination. An illusion is a false show, a mere cheat on the fancy or senses. It is, in other words, some idea or image presented to the bodily or mental vision which does not exist in reality. A delusion is a false judgment, usually affecting the real concerns of life. Or, in other words, it is an erroneous view of something which exists indeed, but has by no means the qualities or attributes ascribed to it. Thus we speak of the illusions of fancy, the illusions of hope, illusive prospects, illusive appearances, etc. In like manner, we speak of the delusions of stockjobbing, the delusions of honorable men, delusive appearances in trade, of being deluded by a seeming excellence. "A fanatic, either religious or political, is the subject of strong delusions; while the term illusion is applied solely to the visions of an uncontrolled imagination, the chimerical ideas of one blinded by hope, passion, or credulity, or lastly, to spectral and other ocular deceptions, to which the word delusion is never applied." -- Whately.

Delusion (n.) (Psychology) An erroneous belief that is held in the face of evidence to the contrary [syn: delusion, psychotic belief].

Compare: Erroneous

Erroneous (a.) 錯誤的；不正確的 Wandering; straying; deviating from the right course; -- hence, irregular; unnatural. [Obs.] "Erroneous circulation." -- Arbuthnot.

Stopped much of the erroneous light, which otherwise would have disturbed the vision. -- Sir I. Newman.

Erroneous (a.) Misleading; misled; mistaking. [Obs.]

An erroneous conscience commands us to do what we ought to omit. -- Jer. Taylor.

Erroneous (a.) Containing error; not conformed to truth or justice; incorrect; false; mistaken; as, an erroneous doctrine; erroneous opinion, observation, deduction, view, etc. -- Er*ro"ne*ous*ly, adv. -- Er*ro"ne*ous*ness, n.

Erroneous (a.) Containing or characterized by error; "erroneous conclusions."

Delusion (n.) A mistaken or unfounded opinion or idea; "he has delusions of competence"; "his dreams of vast wealth are a hallucination" [syn: delusion, hallucination].

Delusion (n.) The act of deluding; deception by creating illusory ideas [syn: delusion, illusion, head game].

Delusion, () med. jurisp. A diseased state of the mind, in which persons believe things to exist, which exist only, or in the degree they are conceived of only in their own imaginations, with a persuasion so fixed and firm, that neither evidence nor argument can convince them to the contrary.

Delusion, () The individual is, of course, insane. For example, should a parent unjustly persist without the least ground in attributing to his daughter a course of vice, and use her with uniform unkindness, there not being the slightest pretence or color of reason for the supposition, a just inference of insanity, or delusion, would arise in the minds of a jury: because a supposition long entertained and persisted in, after argument to the contrary, and against the natural affections of a parent, suggests that he must labor under some morbid mental delusion. 3 Addams' R. 90, 91; Id. 180; Hagg. R. 27 and see Dr. Connolly's Inquiry into Insanity, 384; Ray, Med. Jur. Prel. Views., Sec. 20, p. 41, and Sec. 22, p. 47; 3 Addams, R. 79; 1 Litt. R. 371 Annales d'Hygiene Publique, tom. 3, p. 370; 8 Watts, 70; 13 Ves. 89; 1 Pow. Dev. by Jarman, 130, note Shelf. on Lun. 296; 2 Bouv. Inst. n. 2104-10.

Delusion, (n.) The father of a most respectable family, comprising Enthusiasm, Affection, Self-denial, Faith, Hope, Charity and many other goodly sons and daughters.

All hail, Delusion! Were it not for thee The world turned topsy-turvy we should see; For Vice, respectable with cleanly fancies, Would fly abandoned Virtue's gross advances. Mumfrey Mappel

Zoanthus (n.) (Zool.) A genus of Actinaria, including numerous species, found mostly in tropical seas. The zooids or polyps resemble small, elongated actinias united together at their bases by fleshy stolons, and thus forming extensive groups. The tentacles are small and bright colored.

Zobo (n.) (Zool.) A kind of domestic cattle reared in Asia for its flesh and milk. It is supposed to be a hybrid between the zebu and the yak.

Zocle (n.) (Arch.) Same as Socle.

Zocco (n.) (Arch.) Alt. of Zoccolo.

Zoccolo (n.) (Arch.) Same as Socle.

Zodiac (n.) (Astron.) An imaginary belt in the heavens, 16¡ or 18¡ broad, in the middle of which is the ecliptic, or sun's path. It comprises the twelve constellations, which one constituted, and from which were named, the twelve signs of the zodiac.

Zodiac (n.) (Astron.) A figure representing the signs, symbols, and constellations of the zodiac.

Zodiac (n.) A girdle; a belt. [Poetic & R.]

By his side, As in a glistering zodiac, hung the sword. -- Milton.

Zodiac (n.) A belt-shaped region in the heavens on either side to the ecliptic; divided into 12 constellations or signs for astrological purposes.

Zodiac (n.) (Astrology) A circular diagram representing the 12 zodiacal constellations and showing their signs.

Zodiacal (a.) (Astron.) Of or pertaining to the zodiac; situated within the zodiac; as, the zodiacal planets.

Zodiacal light, A luminous tract of the sky, of an elongated, triangular figure, lying near the ecliptic, its base being on the horizon, and its apex at varying altitudes. It is to be seen only in the evening, after twilight, and in the morning before dawn. It is supposed to be due to sunlight reflected from multitudes of meteoroids revolving about the sun nearly in the plane of the ecliptic.

Zodiacal (a.) Relating to or included in the zodiac; "zodiacal constellations."

Zoea (n.) (Zool.) A peculiar larval stage of certain decapod Crustacea, especially of crabs and certain Anomura. [Written also zoaea.]

Note: In this stage the anterior part of the body is relatively large, and usually bears three or four long spines. The years are conspicuous, and the antennae and jaws are long, fringed organs used in swimming. The thoracic legs are undeveloped or rudimentary, the abdomen long, slender, and often without appendages. The zoea, after casting its shell, changes to a megalops.

Zoetrope (n.) An optical toy, in which figures made to revolve on the inside of a cylinder, and viewed through slits in its circumference, appear like a single figure passing through a series of natural motions as if animated or mechanically moved.

Zohar (n.) A Jewish cabalistic book attributed by tradition to Rabbi Simon ben Yochi, who lived about the end of the 1st century, a. d. Modern critics believe it to be a compilation of the 13th century. -- Encyc. Brit.

Zohar brightness. The father of Ephron the Hittite (Gen. 23:8).

Zohar brightness. One of the sons of Simeon (Gen. 46:10; Ex. 6:15).

Zohar, White; bright; dryness.

Zoic (a.) (Zool.) Of or pertaining to animals, or animal life.

Zoide (n.) (Biol.) See Meride.

Zoilean (a.) Having the characteristic of Zoilus, a bitter, envious, unjust critic, who lived about 270 years before Christ.

Zoilism (n.) Resemblance to Zoilus in style or manner; carping criticism; detraction.

Bring candid eyes the perusal of men's works, and let not Zoilism or detraction blast well-intended labors. -- Sir T. Browne.

Zoisite (n.) (Min.) A grayish or whitish mineral occurring in orthorhombic, prismatic crystals, also in columnar masses. It is a silicate of alumina and lime, and is allied to epidote.

Zokor (n.) (Zool.) An Asiatic burrowing rodent ({Siphneus aspalax) resembling the mole rat. It is native of the Altai Mountains.

Zollverein (n.) Literally, a customs union; specifically, applied to the several customs unions successively formed under the leadership of Prussia among certain German states for establishing liberty of commerce among themselves and common tariff on imports, exports, and transit.

Note: In 1834 a zollverein was established which included most of the principal German states except Austria.

This was terminated by the events of 1866, and in 1867 a more closely organized union was formed, the administration of which was ultimately merged in that of the new German empire, with which it nearly corresponds territorially.

Zomboruk (n.) (Mil.) See Zumbooruk.

Zonae (n. pl. ) of Zona.

Zona (n.) A zone or band; a layer.

Zona pellucida. [NL.] (Biol.) (a) The outer transparent layer, or envelope, of the ovum. It is a more or less elastic membrane with radiating striae, and corresponds to the cell wall of an ordinary cell. See Ovum, and Illust. of Microscope.

Zona pellucida. [NL.] (Biol.) (b) The zona radiata.

Zona radiata [NL.] (Biol.), A radiately striated membrane situated next the yolk of an ovum, or separated from it by a very delicate membrane only.

Zonal (a.) Of or pertaining to a zone; having the form of a zone or zones.

Zonal equation (Crystallog.), The mathematical relation which belongs to all the planes of a zone, and expresses their common position with reference to the axes.

Zonal structure (Crystallog.), A structure characterized by the arrangements of color, inclusions, etc., of a crystal in parallel or concentric layers, which usually follow the outline of the crystal, and mark the changes that have taken place during its growth.

Zonal symmetry. (Biol.) See the Note under Symmetry.

Zonal (a.) Relating to or of the nature of a zone; "the zonal frontier" [syn: zonal, zonary].

Zonal (a.) Associated with or divided into zones; "a zonal pattern of cell structure"; "zonal division" [ant: azonal].

Zonar (n.) A belt or girdle which the Christians and Jews of the Levant were obliged to wear to distinguish them from Mohammedans. [Written also zonnar.]

Zonaria (n. pl.) [NL.] (Zool.) A division of Mammalia in which the placenta is zonelike.

Zonate (a.) (Bot.) Divided by parallel planes; as, zonate tetraspores, found in certain red algae.

Zone (n.) A girdle; a cincture. [Poetic]

An embroidered zone surrounds her waist. -- Dryden.

Loose were her tresses seen, her zone unbound. -- Collins.

Zone (n.) (Geog.) One of the five great divisions of the earth, with respect to latitude and temperature.

Note: The zones are five: the torrid zone, extending from tropic to tropic 46[deg] 56[min], or 23[deg] 28[min] on each side of the equator; two temperate or variable zones, situated between the tropics and the polar circles; and two frigid zones, situated between the polar circles and the poles.

Commerce . . . defies every wind, outrides every tempest, and invades. -- Bancroft.

Zone (n.) (Math.) The portion of the surface of a sphere included between two parallel planes; the portion of a surface of revolution included between two planes perpendicular to the axis. -- Davies & Peck (Math. Dict.)

Zone (n.) (Nat. Hist.) A band or stripe extending around a body.

Zone (n.) (Nat. Hist.) A band or area of growth encircling anything; as, a zone of evergreens on a mountain; the zone of animal or vegetable life in the ocean around an island or a continent; the Alpine zone, that part of mountains which is above the limit of tree growth.

Zone (n.) (Crystallog.) A series of planes having mutually parallel intersections.

Zone (n.) Circuit; circumference. [R.] -- Milton.

Zone (n.) (Biogeography) An area or part of a region characterized by uniform or similar animal and plant life; a life zone; as, Littoral zone, Austral zone, etc.

Note: The zones, or life zones, commonly recognized for North America are Arctic, Hudsonian, Canadian, Transition, Upper Austral, Lower Austral, and Tropical.

Zone (n.) (Cryst.) A series of faces whose intersection lines with each other are parallel.

Zone (n.) (Railroad Econ.) (a) The aggregate of stations, in whatsoever direction or on whatsoever line of railroad, situated between certain maximum and minimum limits from a point at which a shipment of traffic originates.

Zone (n.) (Railroad Econ.) Any circular or ring-shaped area within which the street-car companies make no differences of fare.

Zone (n.) any area to or within which a shipment or transportation cost is constant; specifically, in the United States parcel-post system, any of the areas about any point of shipment for which but one rate of postage is charged for a parcel post shipment from that point. The rate increases from within outwards. The first zone includes the unit of area "(a quadrangle 30 minutes square)" in which the place of shipment is situated and the 8 contiguous units; the outer limits of the second to the seventh zones, respectively, are approximately 150, 300, 600, 1000, 1400, and 1800 miles from the point of shipment; the eighth zone includes all units of area outside the seventh zone.

Abyssal zone. (Phys. Geog.) See under Abyssal.

Zone axis (Crystallog.), A straight line passing through the center of a crystal, to which all the planes of a given zone are parallel.

Zone (v. t.) To girdle; to encircle. [R.] -- Keats.

Zone (n.) A locally circumscribed place characterized by some distinctive features.

Zone (n.) Any of the regions of the surface of the Earth loosely divided according to latitude or longitude [syn: zone, geographical zone].

Zone (n.) An area or region distinguished from adjacent parts by a distinctive feature or characteristic

Zone (n.) (Anatomy) Any encircling or beltlike structure [syn: zone, zona].

Zone (v.) Regulate housing in; of certain areas of towns [syn: zone, district].

Zone (v.) Separate or apportion into sections; "partition a room off" [syn: partition, zone].

Zone (n.) [ C ] (B1) （尤指有不同特徵或用途的）地帶，地區 An area, especially one that is different from the areas around it because it has different characteristics or is used for different purposes.

// An earthquake zone.

// A nuclear-free zone.

// He was charged with driving at 75 mph in a 55 mph zone.

// This stretch of coast has been designated a danger zone.

// The UN Security Council has established a no-fly zone (= one where aircraft are not permitted to fly).

Zone (n.) [ C ] (Specialized) (Geography,) (Environment) （地球的）氣候帶 One of the five parts the earth is divided into according to temperature, marked by imaginary lines going around it from east to west.

// Temperate zones.

Idiom: In the zone

In the zone (Informal) （做某事）得心應手 If you are in the zone, you are happy or excited because you are doing something very skilfully and easily.

Zone (v.) [ T usually passive ] (Specialized) 將…劃作特殊區域；指定…為某項用途的區域 To give a special purpose to a particular area, such as an area in a town.

// The former dockyard has been zoned for industrial use.

Zoned (a.) Wearing a zone, or girdle.

Zoned (a.) Having zones, or concentric bands; striped.

Zoned (a.) Zonate.

Zoneless (a.) Not having a zone; ungirded.

Zonnar (n.) See Zonar.

Zonular (a.) Of or pertaining to a zone; zone-shaped.

Zonule (n.) A little zone, or girdle.

Zonulet (n.) A zonule.

Zonure (n.) Any one of several of South African lizards of the genus Zonura, common in rocky situations.

Zoo- () A combining form from Gr. zwo^,n an animal, as in zoogenic, zoology, etc.

Zoochemical (a.) Pertaining to zoochemistry.

Zoochemistry (n.) Animal chemistry; particularly, the description of the chemical compounds entering into the composition of the animal body, in distinction from biochemistry.

Zoochemy (n.) Animal chemistry; zoochemistry.

Zoochlorella (n.) One of the small green granulelike bodies found in the interior of certain stentors, hydras, and other invertebrates.

Zoocyst (n.) A cyst formed by certain Protozoa and unicellular plants which the contents divide into a large number of granules, each of which becomes a germ.

Zoocytia (n. pl. ) of Zoocytium.

Zoocytium (n.) The common support, often branched, of certain species of social Infusoria.

Zoodendria (n. pl. ) of Zoodendrium.

Zoodendrium (n.) The branched, and often treelike, support of the colonies of certain Infusoria.

Zooecia (n. pl. ) of Zooecium.

Zooecium (n.) One of the cells or tubes which inclose the feeling zooids of Bryozoa. See Illust. of Sea Moss.

Zooerythrine (n.) A peculiar organic red coloring matter found in the feathers of various birds.

Zoogamous (a.) Of or pertaining zoogamy.

Zoogamy (n.) The sexual reproduction of animals.

Zoogenic (a.) Of or pertaining to zoogeny, animal production.

Zoogeny (n.) Alt. of Zoogony.

Zoogony (n.) The doctrine of the formation of living beings.

Zoogeography (n.) 動物地理學 The study or description of the geographical distribution of animals.

Zoogeography (n.) The biological study of the geographic distribution of animals, especially the causes and effects of such distribution.

Zoogeography (n.) [Mass noun] The branch of zoology that deals with the geographical distribution of animals.

Zoogeographical (a.) (Not comparable) 動物地理學的 Of or pertaining to zoogeography.

Compare: Zoography

Zoography (n.) 動物誌；動物地理學 The biological description of animals and their habitats.

Zoogloea (n.) A colony or mass of bacteria imbedded in a viscous gelatinous substance. The zoogloea is characteristic of a transitory stage through which rapidly multiplying bacteria pass in the course of their evolution. Also used adjectively.

Zoographer (n.) One who describes animals, their forms and habits.

Zoographic (a.) Alt. of Zoographical.

Zoographical (a.) Of or pertaining to the description of animals.

Zoographist (n.) A zoographer.

Zoography (n.) A description of animals, their forms and habits.

Zooid (a.) Pertaining to, or resembling, an animal.

Zooid (n.) An organic body or cell having locomotion, as a spermatic cell or spermatozooid.

Zooid (n.) An animal in one of its inferior stages of development, as one of the intermediate forms in alternate generation.

Zooid (n.) One of the individual animals in a composite group, as of Anthozoa, Hydroidea, and Bryozoa; -- sometimes restricted to those individuals in which the mouth and digestive organs are not developed.

Zooidal (a.) Of or pertaining to a zooid; as, a zooidal form.

Zoolatry (n.) The worship of animals.

Zoologer (n.) A zoologist.

Zoological (a.) Of or pertaining to zoology, or the science of animals.

Zoologically (adv.) In a zoological manner; according to the principles of zoology.

Zoologist (n.) One who is well versed in zoology.

Zoologies (n. pl. ) of Zoology.

Zoology (n.) 動物學 [U] That part of biology which relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct.

Zoology (n.) A treatise on this science.

zoology

Zoology (n.) All the animal life in a particular region or period; "the fauna of China"; "the zoology of the Pliocene epoch" [syn: {fauna}, {zoology}] [ant: {botany}, {flora}, {vegetation}].

Zoology (n.) The branch of biology that studies animals [syn: {zoology}, {zoological science}].

Zoology (n.) The science and history of the animal kingdom, including its king, the House Fly (_Musca maledicta_). The father of Zoology was Aristotle, as is universally conceded, but the name of its mother has not come down to us. Two of the science's most illustrious expounders were Buffon and Oliver Goldsmith, from both of whom we learn (_L'Histoire generale des animaux_ and _A History of Animated Nature_) that the domestic cow sheds its horn every two years.

Zoom (v.) (Informal) [ I + adv./ prep. ] 快速移動 To move very quickly.

// They got into the car and zoomed off.

// In the last few metres of the race, she suddenly zoomed ahead.

Zoom (v.) [ I ] （價額或銷售額）猛漲 If prices or sales zoom, they increase suddenly and quickly.

// House prices suddenly zoomed up last year.

Zoomelanin (n.) A pigment giving the black color to the feathers of many birds.

Zoomorphic (a.) 獸形的 Of or pertaining to zoomorphism.

Zoomorphism (n.) 獸形神現；動物描繪或造型 The transformation of men into beasts. [R.] -- Smart.

Zoomorphism (n.) The quality of representing or using animal forms; as, zoomorphism in ornament.

Zoomorphism (n.) The representation of God, or of gods, in the form, or with the attributes, of the lower animals.

To avoid the error of anthropomorphism, we fall into the vastly greater, and more absurd, error of zoomorphism. -- Mivart.

Zoomorphism (n.) The attribution of animal forms or qualities to a god.

Zoa (n. pl. ) of Zoon.

Zoon (n.) （群體動物中）發育完全的個體；動物 An animal which is the sole product of a single egg; -- opposed to {zooid}. -- H. Spencer.

Zoon (n.) Any one of the perfectly developed individuals of a compound animal.

[previous page] [Index] [next page]