A-Z Database

A-Z Database

All A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Zonked

US slang for tired or exhausted dates from the 1980s but was originally used to describe the excessive effects of drugs or alcohol.


Zoot suit

Originally, zoot suit is a corruption from rhyming with suit but instead of ‘zuit’ the spelling zoot was adopted. Zoot suit has come to mean one’s bes...

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Zouave

French light infantry soldier first recruited in 1831 from the Zouaoua or Zwawa, Berber tribesmen that inhabited the Kabyli mountain range in Algeria....

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Zounds sometimes Swounds

An archaic expression of surprise rarely heard these days, but common enough in literary work since the 16th century. It is a contraction of the oath,...

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