Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
E. Cobham Brewer From The Edition Of 1894
Z
taken from the Latin letter Z, which came from the Greek alphabet, this having it from a Semitic source. The ultimate origin is probably Egyptian.
Zabian
a worshipper of the sun, moon, and stars. The Chaldees and ancient Persians were Zabians.
An adherent of the Sabian religion; a worshiper of the heavenly bodies. Written also as Sabæan, and Sabean.
Zacocia
King of Mozambec. Camoens, in his Lusiad, says that he received Vasco da Gama and his men with great hospitality, believing them to be Mahometans, but the moment he discovered that they were Christians all his kindness turned to the most rancorous hate. He tried to allure them into ambush, but, failing in this, sent to Gama a pilot to conduct the fleet to Mombaze (2 syl.), where the whole party would have been killed or reduced to slavery. This treachery failed also, because Venus drove the fleet in a contrary direction by a storm. The faithless pilot lastly attempted to run the ships upon hidden rocks, but the Nereids came to the rescue, and the pilot threw himself into the sea to escape the anger of the Portuguese adventurer. (Camoens: Lusiad, bks. i. ii.)
Zadkiel
(3 syl.). Angel of the planet Jupiter. (Jewish mythology. )
Zadkicl. The pen—name of Lieutenant Morrison, author of the Prophetic Almanac.
Zadoc in Dryden's satire of Absalom and Achitophel, is designed for Sancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury.
“Zadoc the priest, whom (shunning power and place),
His lowly mind advanced to David's [Charles II.] grace.” Part i. lines 801—2.
Zakarija ibn Muhammed
surnamed Kazwini, from Kaswîn, the place of his birth. De Sacy calls him “the Pliny of the East.” (1200—1283.)
Zakkum
A tree growing in the Muhammadan hell, from which a food is prepared for the damned of inexpressible bitterness.
“How will it be for him whose food is Zakkum?”— The Koran.
Zal
Son of Sâm Nerimân, exposed on Mount Elburz, because he was born with white hair, and therefore supposed to be the offspring of a deer. He was brought up by the wonderful bird Seemurgh (q.v.), and when claimed by his father, received from the foster—bird a feather to give him insight into futurity. (Persian mythology.)
Zanes
The statues dispersed about the grounds on which the public games of Greece were celebrated. They were the produce of fines imposed on those who infringed the regulations.
Zanoni
Hero of a novel so called by Lord Lytton. Zanoni is supposed to possess the power of communicating with spirits, prolonging life, and producing gold, silver, and precious stones.
Zan'y
More correctly, Zanny (Italian zanni, a buffoon; Latin sannio, “sanna” means a grimace, and “sanneo” one who makes grimaces).
“For indeed,
He's like the `zani to a tumbler
That tries tricks after him to make men laugh.”
B. Jonson: Every Man out of his Humour, iv. 2.
“He belonged to one of those dramatic companies called zanni, who went about the country reciting and acting.”— John Inglesant, chap. xxvii
Zel
A Moorish cymbal.
“Where, some hours since, was heard the swell
Of trumpet, and the clash of zel.”
Thomas Moore: Fire—Worshippers.
Zelica
was in love with Azim. Azim left his native Bokhara to join the Persian army, and was taken captive by the Greeks. Report said “he was dead;” Zelica lost her reason, joined the harem of the Veiled Prophet as
“one of the elect of Paradise,” and became “priestess of the faith.” When Azim joined the prophet's band, Zelica was appointed to lure him to his destruction, both of body and soul. They meet— Azim tells her to fly with him, but she tells him she is the prophet's bride, and flees from his embrace. After the death of the prophet Zelica puts on his veil, and Azim, thinking he sees the prophet, rushes on her and kills her. (Thomas Moore. Vciled Prophet of Khorassan; Lalla Rookh. )
Zelotes (3 syl.) or Sicarii were pious assassins among the Jews, who imposed on themselves the task of killing all who broke the Mosaic law. (Mishnah: Sanhedrim, ix. 6.)
“Simon Zelotes was probably a disciple of Judas the Gaulonite, leader of a party of the Kenaim (Sicarii).”— Renan: Life of Jesus, ix.
Zem
The sacred well of Mecca. According to Arab tradition, this is the very well that was shown to Hagar when Ishmael was perishing of thirst. Mecca is built round it.
Zenchis Khan
[great chief ]. A title assumed in 1206 by Temoudin, a Persian rebel, in the presence of 100 tribes. His progress was like that of a destroying angel, and by his sword Persia became part of the vast Mogul empire.
Zend—Avesta
The great work of Zoroaster, or rather Zarathustra, the Mede, who reformed the Magian religion. It is the Avesta or “Living Word,” written in the Zend language (B.C. 490). It now contains the Yacna, the Vispered, the Vendidad, and the Khordah—Avesta.
“The sacred writings of the Parsees have usually been called Zend—Avesta by Europeans; but this is, without doubt, an inversion of the proper order of the words, as the Pahlavi books always style them `Avisták—va—Zand' (text and commentary).”— Hang: Essays on the Parsis, Essay iii. p. 19.
Zenelophon
A corruption of Penelophon. The beggar—maid loved by King Cophetua.
“The magnanimous and most illustrate king Cophetua set eye upon the pernicious and indubitate beggar Zenelophon.”— Shakespeare: Love's Lobour's Lost, iv. 1.
Zenith, Nadir
Zenith is the point of the heavens immediately over the head of the spectator. Nadir is the opposite point, immediately beneath the spectator's feet. (French, zénith, nadir.)
Zephon
[scarcher of secrets ]. The cherub despatched by Gabriel to find Satan, after his flight from hell. Ithuriel goes with him. (Milton: Paradise Lost, iv. 788—796.)
Zephyr
The west wind, the son of AEolus and Aurora, and the lover of Flora. (Roman mythology.)
Pas de zephyr. Standing on one foot and balancing the other backwards and forwards.
Zeus
(1 syl.). The Grecian Jupiter. The word means the “living one.” (Sanskrit, Djaus, heaven.) (See Jupiter. )
Zeuxis
(2 syl.), a Grecian painter, is said to have painted some grapes so well that the birds came and pecked at them.
“Een as poor birds, deceived with painted grapes,
Do surfeit by the eye, and pine the maw.”
Shakespeare: Venus and Adonis.
Zif
Hypothetical stock, entered in “salted accounts,” to give a colourable balance “to the good.” (Hebrew ziphr, a book.) (Vidocq: Les Voleurs, vol. ii. pp. 81, 87.)
Zig
A prodigious cock, which stands with its feet on the earth and touches heaven with its head. When its wings are spread it darkens the sun, and causes a total eclipse. This cock crows before the Lord, and delighteth Him. (Babylonish Talmud.)
Zig
A chum, a comrade. (Italian zigno, a newt or little lizard.) It generally— means un mauvais camarade, unless otherwise qualified. (French argot.)
“Only the bon zig Rac.”— Ouida: Under Two Flags, chap xxv.
Zim and Jim
“His house was made a habitation for Zim and Jim, and every unclean thing” (Godly Man's Portion, 1663). The marginal reading of Isa. xii. 21, 22, explains Zim to be wild beasts, and Jim jackals.
Zimri
in Dryden's Absalom and Achitophel, is the second Duke of Buckingham. Like the captain who conspired against Asa, King of Judah, he “formed parties and joined factions,” but pending the issue “he was drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, steward of his house.” (1 Kings xvi. 9.)
“Some of the chiefs were princes in the land;
In the first rank of these did Zimri stand;
A man so various that he seemed to be
Not one, but all mankind's epitome.
Stiff in opinions, always in the wrong,
Was everything by starts, and nothing long.”
Part i. 543—548.
Zincali Gipsies; so called in Spain from Sinte or Sind (India) and calo (black), the supposition being that they came from Hindustan, which no doubt is true. The Persian Zangi means an Ethiopian or Egyptian.
Zindikites
(3 syl.). An heretical Mahometan sect, who disbelieve in God, the resurrection, and a future life. They think that the world is the production of four eternal elements, and that man is a microcosm of the world.
Zineura
in the Decameron of Boccaccio (day ii. novel 9), is the Imogen of Shakespeare's Cymbeline. In male attire Zineura assumed the name of Sicurano da Finale, and Imogen of Fidele. Zineura's husband was Bernard Lomellin, and the villain was Ambrose. Imogen's husband was Posthumus Leonatus, and the villain Iachimo. In Shakespeare, the British king Cymbeline takes the place assigned by Boccaccio to the sultan.
Zion
Daughter of Zion. Jerusalem or its inhabitants. The city of David stood on Mount Zion. Zion and Jerusalem were pretty much in the same relation to each other as Old and New Edinburgh. (Hebrew, Tsiyon, a hill.)
Zist
“Se trouver entre le zist ct le zest.” To be in a quandary; in a state of perfect bewilderment. Also, to shilly shally. “Zest” is anything of no value, as “Cela ne vaut pas un zest” (It is not worth a fig). “Zist” is the same word slightly varied.
Zobeide
(2 syl.). A lady of Bagdad, whose history is related in the Three Calenders. The Kalif Haroun—al—Ras—chid married her. (Arabian Nights.)
Zodiac
An imaginary belt or zone in the heavens, extending about eight degrees each side of the ecliptic.
Signs of the Zodiac. The zodiac is divided into twelve equal parts, proceeding from west to east; each part is thirty degrees, and is distinguished by a sign. Beginning with “Arie,” we have first six northern and then six southern signs— i.e. six on the north side and six on the south side of the equator; beginning with
“Capricornus,” we have six ascending and then six descending signs— i.e. six which ascend higher and higher towards the north, and six which descend lower and lower towards the south. The six northern signs are: Aries (the ram), Taurus (the bull), Gemini (the twins), spring signs; Cancer (the crab), Leo (the lion), Virgo (the virgin), summer signs. The six southern are: Libra (the balance), Scorpio (the scorpion), Sagittarius (the archer), autumn signs; Capricornus (the goat), Aquarius (the water—bearer) and Pisces (the fishes), winter signs. (Greek, zo—on, living creatures.)
Our vernal signs the RAM begins,
Then comes the BULL, in May the TWINS;— The CRAB in June, next LEO shines,
And VIRGO ends the northern signs.
The BALANCE brings autumnal fruits,
The SCORPION stings, the ARCHER shoots;— December's GOAT brings wintry blast,
AQUARIUS rain, the FISH come last. E. C. B.
Zohar
The name of a Jewish book containing cabalistic expositions of the “books of Moses.” Traditionally ascribed to Rabbi Simon ben Yochi, first century; but probably belonging to the thirteenth century.
“The renowned Zohar is written in Aramaic, and is a commentary on the Pentateuch, according to its divisions into fifty—two hebdomadal lessons.”— Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. xii. p. 813.
Zoilism
Harsh, ill—tempered criticism; so called from Zoilos (q.v. ).
Zoilos (Latin, Zoilus). The sword of Zoilos. The pen of a critic. Zoilos was a literary Thersites, shrewd, witty, and spiteful. He was nicknamed Homeromastix (Homer's scourge), because he mercilessly assailed the epics of Homer, and called the companions of Ulysses in the island of Circe “weeping porkers” (“choiridia klaionta”). He also flew at Plato, Isocrates, and other high game.
“Pendentem volo Zoilum videre.” Martial.
Zola—ise
To write like Zola, the French novelist, the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Zola is noted for his realistic novels, many of which are unfit for circulating libraries. His speciality is a reckless exposition of the licentious habits of the French. His historic novel, called the Débâcle, exposed the breakdown of Napoleon III. and his army in the Franco—German war (1870—1871).
Other parts of speech from Zola are Zolaesque, Zolaisation, Zolaiser, etc. The most complimentary meaning of Zolaesque is the terrible descriptive style of writing. The more general meaning is licentious and coarsely erotic.
Zollverein
meaning customs union, a commercial union of German states for the purpose of establishing a uniform tariff of duties. (Begun 1819.)
Zophiel
An angelic scout of “swiftest wing.” The word means “God's spy.” (Milton: Paradise Lost, yi. 355.)
Zoraida
(3 syl.). Daughter of Agimorato of Algiers, who becomes a Christian and elopes with Ruy Perez de Viedma, an officer of Leon. The story is told in an episode of Don Quixote, called The Captive's Life and Adventures. (Bk. iv. chap. ix.—xi.)
Zoraide
(3 syl.) or Zoraida. The name of a yacht belonging to the squadron at Cowes. This name is taken from Rossini's Zoraidi et Coradin.
Zounds! An oath, meaning God's wounds.
Zulal
That stream of Paradise, clear as crystal and delicious as nectar, which “the spirits of the just made perfect” drink of.
Zuleika
Daughter of Giaffir, Pacha of Abydos. She is all purity and loveliness. Her intelligence, joyousness, undeviating love, and strict regard to duty are beautifully portrayed. She promises to flee with Selim and become his bride; but her father, Giaffir, shoots her lover, and Zuleika dies of a broken heart. (Byron: Bride of Abydos.)
Zuleika. The wife of Joseph.
“It is less costly than the others, and it is remarkable that, although his wife's name, Zuleika (according to tradition) is inserted in the certificates given to pilgrims, no grave having that name is shown.”— The Times (Report of the visit of the Prince of Wales to the mosque of Hebron).
Zulfagar
Ali's sword. (See Sword. )