A growing assortment of words and definitions used in the Early Modern era. See the Guide for more information.
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7
Word
Definition
Zibeline
Sable, the animal and its fur. Also, a woollen cloth with a somewhat furry surface, used for women's dresses. THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY of May 1889 averred: In 1188 or thereabout no person was allowed to wear garments of vair, gray, zibeline, or scarlet color.
Zimme
A gem. The word, which Edward Bulwer-Lytton uses twice, is an error; he misunderstood the Old English symbol for dg which looks like a z, thus reading zimm for gimm, gem. Thus in HAROLD (1848): Taking from his own neck a collar of zimmes . . . of great price.
Zitella
A girl; a maiden. From the Italian; plural, zitelle. Mrs. Aphra Behn in THE FEIGN'D CURTIZANS (1679) exclaimed: A curtizan! and a zitella too? a pretty contradiction!
Zonulet
A little zone, a zonelet; especially, a girdle or belt (for a maiden's waist). Robert Herrick says in HESPERIDES (1648), of his JULIA'S RIBAND: 'Tis that zonulet of love Wherein all pleasures of the world are wove.
Zounds
A euphemistic shortening of By God's wounds, as a mild oath. Also zwounds; zoones, zauns, zownds, zons, dzowns. William Shakespeare exclaimed in KING JOHN (1623) -- and the present reader well may echo him: Zounds, I was never so bethumpt with words!
Zygomancy
Divination -- foretelling events, predicting the future --using weights.
Zymurgy
The art of fermentation, as in the making of wine. Greek zyme, leaven + ourgia, working. For centuries, monks have been among the most skilled zymurgists.
