zebra-parrakeet 
Zebra-caterpillar and Motb {Mamestra picta). 
zebra-parrakeet (ze'brfi-par'a-ket), «. A kind 
of grass-parrakeet, ilelopsitiaciis undulatus, 
much of whose plumage is barred. It is a eom- 
moii cage-bird. See cut under Mclopsittaciis. 
Zebrapicna(ze-bra-pi'ku8), «. [XL. (Malherbe, 
1849), also Zehripicus (Bonaparte, 1854), < ^f- 
bra, q. v., + NL. Picii.i.'i A genus of wood- 
peckers: so called from the extensive striping 
of the plumage. IthMcovere<lanuniberof American 
formB, but waa baaed on the common red-bellied wood- 
pecker of the I'nited Slatea, and is thus a synonym of Cen- 
iunu (itself often raerjfed in Melanerpeg). See cut under 
Centurtu. 
zebra-plant (ze'bra-plant), «. Antriped-leafed 
plant. Miiranta zcbrina. See MarunUi. 
zebra-poison (ze'bra-poi'zn), n. A succulent 
tree, Euphorbia arborea, of South Africa. The 
milky juice is so poisonous as to kill zebras which drink 
water in which the branches have been placed, and it 
is sometimes used as an arrow-poison. J . Smith, Diet, 
of Economic Plants. 
zebra-shark (ze'bra-.shark), n. The tiger-shark. 
zebra-spider (ze'brji-spi'der), n. A hunting- 
spider or wolf-spider. See Lyeosidse, and cuts 
under tarantula and wolf-xpider. 
zebra-Bwallowtail (ze'bra-swol'o-tal), «. The 
aja.\, Papilio (or Ipliiclides) ajax. a large swal- 
low-tailed butterfly of North America, having 
yellowish-white wings barred with black. It is 
a handsome species, and occurs from Pennsylvania south- 
ward. The larva feeds on the papaw. 
zebra-wolf (ze'bril-wiilf), n. The pouched dog 
or thylacine dasyure of Tasmania, Dasyuru.1 
thylaciitus or Tlujlaeinus cynocephaUts, a large 
predaceous and carnivorous marsupial quatlru- 
Eed somewhat resembling a wolf, having the 
aek and rump transversely strij)ed (whence 
the name). See cut under thylacine. 
zebra-wood (ze'bra-wud). «. 1. The wood of 
CoHnaru.i Guianensis{Omphalobium Lambcrtii), 
of the Connaracese, a tall tree of Guiana ; also, 
the tree itself. The wood is hard aiul beauti- 
fully marked, and is much sought for use in 
making furniture. — 2. The wood of a small 
evergreen, Guettarda speciosa, of the Eiibiacese, 
found on tropical shores in both hemispheres. 
— 3. In the West Indies, a shrub or small ti-ee, 
Myrtus ( Kuyenia) Jragranii, var. ciineata. 
zebra-woodpecker (ze'br|i-wud''pek-6r), ». 
Any one of the stri|)ed woodpeckers of Mal- 
herbe's genus Zehrnpirus — that is, of Centurua 
in a usual sense. See cut under C'eiitiirun. 
zebrlne (ze'brin),n. [<. zebra + -ine^ .^ Resem- 
bling or related to the zebra; striped like a ze- 
bra; pertaining to the subgenus Hippoiiijris : 
correlated with equine and asinine. Darwin. 
7031 
zebu (ze'bu), ». [< p. zebu, a name accepted 
by Buffon from the exhibitors of the animal at 
a French fair, and supposed by him to be au 
-Airican word. If not invented, it is prob. in- 
tended to represent the E. Ind. zobo, q. v.] 
The Indian bull, ox, or cow; any individual or 
breed of Bos indicns, having a hump on the 
withers. The zebu has been domesticated from time im- 
memorial, and is now known only in its artificial breeds. 
These are numerous, and very various in size, shape, and 
color, the processes of artificial selection having modified 
the original stock in almost every particular. The char- 
acteristic hump is sometimes double. The flesh is con- 
sidered a delicacy. The size of different breeds of zebus 
varies much. Some are as large as ordinary cattle, others 
no larger than a common calf a month or two old. The 
color is usually light gray, varying to pure white. The 
bulls of the latter color are consecrated to Siva, and be- 
come Brahminy bulls, exempt from labor or molestation. 
Zebus are bred particularly in India, but also in China, Ja- 
pan, and some parts of Africa. They are used as beasts 
of burden and of draft, and as riding-animals, as well as 
for beef. The stock from which they have descended is 
by some naturalists supposed to represent only a variety 
of Bog taurug, the original of the ordinary domestic ox. 
See cut in preceding column. 
zebub (ze'bub), «. [< Ai-. zubdb, dhubdb, Heb. 
zebabjiiy. Cf. Beelzebub.] A large Abyssinian fly 
noxious to cattle, like the tsetse and the zimb. 
zebu-cattle (ze'bu-kat"l), n. The cattle of the 
eastern hemisphere which have a hump, like 
the zebu. Darwin. 
zebuder, «. The Caucasian ibex. Also called 
zac. 
zecchino (tsek-ke'no), ». [It.: see «f^M('«.] A 
gold coin of the Venetian republic, worth 
Zebu fSai indkUT, var,). 
Obverse. Reverie. 
Zecchino of Paolo Raniero, Doge of Venice 1778- 1789.— British 
Museum. <Size of original.) 
rather more than 9,«. English, or about $2.25: 
same as sequin. 
zecbin, ». A variant of sequin. 
Zechstein (zek'stin), n. [6.. < zeehe, a mine, 
-I- stein, stone.] In geol., the uppermost of the 
two divisions of the Permian, the lower being 
the so-called " Kothliegende." This twofold char- 
acter of the Permian is a well-marked feature of the system 
in Germany, especially in the central part of that cimn- 
try; hence it is not infrequently cidled the Dyax, a word 
coined in imitation of the name Trim. At the bottom 
of the Zechstein is the "Kupferschiefer," a thin bed 
of dark-colored, bituminous, and cupriferous shale. The 
Zechstein proper is a calcareous rock, becoming dolomitic 
in its upper section, and containing, especially in I'rus- 
sia, masses of rock-salt of extraordinarj' thickness. The 
Permian covers an extensive area in Kussiii, where, how- 
ever, its dual character is nmch less distinctly marked 
than it is in Germany. In the east of England this fea- 
ture of the Permian is clearly exhibited, and the so-called 
'* Magnesian Limestone group" is the equivalent of the Ger- 
man Zechstein. No separation of the Permian into divi- 
sions has been satisfactorily made out in North America, 
where the break between that formation and the Carbon- 
iferous is far less distinct than it is in the regions of its 
typical development in Germany. 
zed (zed), 11. r= F. zi'de, < L. zeta, < Or. Cvr«, the 
name of the letter Z.] 1. The letter Z, also 
called zee and sometimes izzard. 
Zfd, thou nnnecessary letter ! Shak., Lear, ii. 2. 69. 
2. A metal bar rolled so as to have a cross- 
section resembling the letter Z. 
Angles, Zedfi, Channels, Beams, Bars. 
Thi- Engineer, LXXI. p. xxxviii. of adv'ts. 
Zedland (zcd'land), «. [< zed + land.] A des- 
ignation of the western part of England, from 
the dialectal use there of the sound of « for that 
of s. Halliwell. 
zedoary (zed'o-a-ri). It. [< F. zcdoaire = 8p. 
Pff.z/tlnaria =li. zettorario: see setwall.] An 
East Indian drug, known in two varieties as long 
and round zedoary. According to some authorities 
these are both the product of Curcuma Zedoaria (the C. 
Zentmhet of Roxburgh); according to others, only the long 
zedoary belongs to this species, the round to C. aromatica 
(the C. Zedoaria of Roxburgh). Botli varieties are aromatic, 
with a strong camphoraceous flavor and tlie odor of ginger. 
In medicine, zedoaiyacts like ginger, but is less effective. 
It is useil in India in various alterative decoctions and in 
preparing kinds of incense. The rhizome of C. anmioHca, 
like the related turmeric, is used in dyeing— its chief ap- 
plication. 
Zeidse (ze'i-de), n. pi. [NL. (Swainson, 1839), 
< Xeus + -idle.] A family of aeaiithopterygian 
fishes, so named from the genus Zeus, but usu- 
ally called Zenidie. See cut under dory, 1. 
zein (ze'in), H. [< Zca + -in^.] A proteid ob- 
tained from maize, said to be allied to gluten. 
zemindary 
It has a yellowish color, and is soft, insipid, and 
elastic. It differs essentially from the gluten 
of wheat. Also zeinc. 
Zeitgeist (tsit'gist), «. [G. ; < zeit, time (= E. 
tide), + geist, spirit (= E. ghost).] The spirit 
or genius of the time; that general drift of 
thought or feeling which particularly charac- 
terizes any period of time : a German word oc- 
casionally used in English. 
zel (zel), n. [< Turk. Pers. zil, a bell, cymbal.] 
An Oriental form of cymbal. 
Where, some houi-s since, was heard the swell 
Of trumpet and the clash of zel, 
Bidding the bright-eyed sun farewell. 
Moore, Lalla Rookh, The Fire- Worshippers. 
Zelanian (ze-la'ni-an), a. [< NL. Zelania (Nova 
Zelania, New Zealand) -I- -an.] In zoogeog., 
of or pertaining to New Zealand: more fully 
Xoro-Zelanian. See Xew Zealand subregion, un- 
der subregion. 
zelantf, n. [Also zealant; < LL. zelan(t-)s, ppr. 
of zehire, have zeal for, < L. zelus, zeal : see 
zeal.] A zealot. Also zealant. 
To certain zealantg all speech of paciflcation is odious. 
Bacon, t'nity in Religion (ed. Spedding, Ellis, and Heath). 
Advertisement touching an Holy War written (by Ba- 
con] in the form of a Dialogue, in which the interlocutors 
represent a Moderate Divine, a Protestant Zetaiit, a Rom- 
ish Catholic Zelant ... E. A. Abbott, Bacon, p. 420. 
zelatort (zel'a-tor), 11. [< LL. zelator, < zelare, 
have zeal for: see zelant.] A zealous partizan 
or promoter; a zealot. 
Many zetatours or fauourers of the publyke weale haue 
benne discouraged. Sir T. Eiyot, The Governour, iii. 27. 
Zele (ze'le), H. [NL. (Curtis, 1831), said to be 
< Gr. C,ri'/ri, a female rival.] A genus of hyme- 
nopterous parasites, of the family Braconidg. 
distinguished from Macroccntrus principally by 
having the abdomen inserted between the pos- 
terior coxa?. Ten North American and three European 
species have been described. They are parasitic upon 
small lepidopterons larvffi. 
Zelkova (zel-ko'vii), n. [NL. (Spaeh, 1841), 
from the Cretan name zelkova.] A genus of 
apetaloHS trees, of the order Urticaceee and 
tribe Celtidcse. it is characterized by monoecious or 
polygamous flowers, the male with a sbort-lobed peri- 
anth, the female with an eccentric two-parted style and 
uniovnlate ovary, in fruit somewhat ventricose and drupa- 
ceous, smooth or veiny on the surface, and often keeled on 
the back, containing a compressed concave seed with 
broad cotyledons. There are 4 species, natives respec- 
tively of Crete, the Caucasian and Caspian region, Japan, 
and China. They are trees bearing alternate serrate or 
crenate feather-veii\ed leaves, with narrow slender stip- 
ules. The flowers are sessile or short-pedicelled, the male 
in small clusters, the female solitaiy in the upper axils. 
Z. cre}iata (formerly known as Plavera Itiehardi), the zel- 
kova- or zelkona-tree of the Caucasus, reaches a consider- 
able size, sometimes 80 feet high and 4 feet in diameter; 
in its scaly bark it resembles the plane-tree, in its leaves 
the elm ; tlie small greenish-brown flowers have the odor 
of the elder, and are followed by roundish fruits of tlie size 
of a pea. Its timber is much prized ; the sap-wood is light- 
colored and elastic ; the hard heavy reddish heart-wood 
takes a good polish, and is valued for furniture. For Z. 
acuminata, see keyaki. 
zeloso (dze-lo'so), a. \\t.: see zealous.] Zeal- 
ous : in music, marking passages to be rendered 
with zeal, enthusiasm, or energy. 
zelot^ia (zel-o-tip'i-ji), 11. [NL., < Gr. Zv'mtv- 
wia. jealousy, rivalry,< C'Potvko^, jealous,< t^y?.o^, 
zeal, -1- Ti-TTTcw, strike : see type.] The exercise 
of morbid perseverance and energy in the pros- 
ecution of a project, especially one of a politi- 
cal or religious nature ; a form of monomania 
sometimes manifesting itself inoverzeal in at- 
tempts to gain supporters to any public cause. 
zelotypic (zel-o-tip'ik), a. {< zelotypia + -ic] 
Pertaining to, characterized by, or exhibiting 
zelotypia. 
zelOUSiet, »■ See zealousy. 
zemindar (zem'in-diir), n. [Also zamindar; < 
Pers. zemindar, a landholder, < zemln, land, -I- 
-ddr, holding.] Originally, one of a class of 
fanners of the revenue from land held in com- 
mon by its cultivators, established by the Mo- 
gul government of India, every one in a specially 
assigned tract or district ; now, in many prov- 
inces, a native landlord, regarded as a successor 
of the preceding, and similarly responsible for 
the land-tax, who under British regulations has 
become the actual proprietor of the soil under 
his jurisdiction, often with right of primogeni- 
ture. 
The Zemindars of I,ower Bengal, the landed proprietary 
established by Lord Cornwallis, Ilave the worst reputation 
as landlords, and appear to have Ere<iuently deserved it. 
Maim, Village Communities, p. 16:^. 
zemindary (zem'in-dii-ri), «.; pi. zemindaries 
(-riz). [< Pers. zeniindari, < zemindar, zem- 
indar.] 1. The office or jurisdiction of a zem- 
indar. — 2. The tract of territory administered 
