zemlndary 
or controlled by a zemindar; also, the system 
of laudlioldiiig and revenue-collection under 
zemindars. Also written zamindari, zemindari, 
zemindaree. zemindarnj, etc. 
Lord Coniwallis, with the best intentions, stereotyped 
the zemindarn system iu Bengal by giving to the middle- 
men or fanners of the revenue permanent rights of pos- 
session, subject to a quit rent to the Govenmient. 
Contemporary Jtev., L. 61. 
zemmi, zemni (zem'i, -ni), w. The blind mole- 
rat, Siwhix ti/phlus. See cut under niole-rrif. 
zemstVO (zems'tvo), II. [Russ.] In Russia, a 
local elective assembly, of recent institution, 
for the oversight and regulation of affairs with- 
in its territory. There are zemstvos tor the districts 
into which the governments are divided, and also for the 
governments themselves, with nominal jurisdiction of 
local taxation, schools, roads, public sanitation, etc., but 
subject to arbitrai-y interference by the provincial gover- 
nors. 
Zenaida (ze-ua'i-dit), n. [NL. (Bonaparte, 
1838), < Zemiide, daughter of Joseph Bonaparte, 
and wife of Cliarles Lucien Bonaparte.] A ge- 
nus of American ground-doves, typical of the 
subfamily Zenaidinse, containing such species 
as the West Indian Z. amabilis. 
zenaide (zf-na'id), n. A dove of the genus 
Zeiioidd. 
Zenaidinae (zf-na-i-di'ne), «. pi. [NL., < Zeim- 
ida + -i»«.] A subfamily of pigeons or doves, 
of the family Columhidse ; the ground-pigeons 
of America, distinguished from the more ar- 
boreal pigeons, or Colmnbinse. proper, by the 
greater size of the feet and the denudation of 
the scutellate tarsi. Numerous genera and species 
inhabit the warmer parts of America ; 6 are found in the 
United .States, of which the Carolina dove, Zcnaidura ca- 
roHrtewna, is the best^known and most widely distributed. 
Zenaida am-abUis is a West Indian species, found also in 
Florida. The group embraces the smallest birds of the 
family, as the diminutive ground-dove of the Southern 
States, Chaniaepelia (or CotuinJbigalliiia) passerina. See 
cuts under dove, ground-dmie, Melopelia, and Scardafella. 
zenaidine (ze-na'i-din), a. [< ZeiundiHse.'\ 
Pertaining to' or resembling the genus Zenaida. 
Cuues. 
Zenaidura (ze-na-i-dii'ra), )(. [NL. (Bona- 
parte, 1854), < Zenaida, q. v., + Gr. ovpd, tail.] 
That genus of Columhidse which contains the 
Carolina dove, or mourning-dove, Z. carolincn- 
sis: so called from the peculiarity of the tail, 
which has fourteen instead of twelve feathers. 
The long cuneate tail gives this genus the aspect of Eeto- 
pigtes (which belongs to a different subfamily). See cut 
under dove, and compare that under pa»scnger-pigeon. 
Also, incoiTectly, Zeneedxtra. 
zenana (ze-nil'na), n. [Also 5ana)ia; < Pers. re- 
«aH«, belongingto women, < sen, a woman, = Gr. 
ymii, a woman : see f/«ee«i.] In India, that part 
of the house in which the females of a family 
are secluded ; an East Indian harem. 
I wandered through a zenaita which was full of women's 
clothes, fans, slippers, musical instruments, flowers, gilt 
chairs, and damask curtains. 
)l'. H. IhixKcU, Diary in India, I. 338. 
Zenana missions, Protestsmt Christian missions to the 
women of India, conducted by female missionaries from 
Great Britain and the I'nited States. 
Zend(zend), «. [See ZcH(/-Jre,sto.] The name 
commonly given to the language of the Avesta : 
an ancient form of Iranian or Persian, it was 
deciphered in the present century, largely by means of its 
resemblance to Sanskrit. See Zend-Avesta. 
zendal silk. Same as .leiidai. 
Zend-Avesta (zen-dii-ves'ta), n. [More prop- 
erly Avesta, since Zendavesta is literally the 
Avesta with its Zend or commentary.] The 
sacred scriptures of the Zoroastrian religion, 
ascribed to Zoroaster, and consisting of the 
Vendidad, the Yasiia (including the <!dthd,i). 
the YashU, and a few other pieces. Compare 
Zend. 
zendel (/.en'del), 11. Same as .icndal. 
zendik (zen'dik), II. [Ar. zciitUq.} A name 
given in the East not only to disbelievers in 
revealed religion, but also to such persons as 
are accused of magical heresy. 
zenick, zenik (ze'nik), v. [African.] The 
African suricate, lllii/Zeena totrndacti/Ia or iSiiri- 
ciila zenick'. See cut under .iiificatc. 
Zenidae (zeu'i-de), ». /;/. [NL.. < Zeiix (Zen-) 
+ -i(l<e.'] A family of physoclistous acanthoji- 
terygian fishes, typified by the gcnvis Zeus ; the 
dories. The body is short, high and deep, and much 
compressed ; the large mouth is terminal, with protractile 
upper jaw and small teeth in narrow bands or single file; 
the dorsal tin is emarginate or divided, with strong spines 
anteriorly; the anal is spined or spineless: the ventrals 
are thoi-acic, and have one spine and ilve to eight rays; 
the caudal is usually not forked ; the lateral line is ob- 
scure and unarmed ; pyloric caica are extremely numer- 
ous; and the vertebi-se are about thirty-two. These are 
fishes of warm seas, of singular api)earance, represented 
by 5 genera and about 10 species. Also called Cyttid/v, 
10^-2 
Zenopsis orellatiis, of the family Ztttidm. 
and formerly Cyttina. The name is also written Zeidee. 
See Zeus, 2, and cut under dory. 
Zeninse (ze-ni'ne), n. pi. [NL., < Zeus (Zen-) 
+ -(■««.] A subfamily of Zenidse, without pala- 
tine teeth, with scales minute if present, and 
very strong anal spines. See Zeus, 2. 
zenith (ze'nith), II. [ME. senytli, < OF. cenitli, 
zenith, F. zenith (> G. zenith = D. Sw. zenit = 
Russ. zenitu), < Sp. zenit, OSp. zenith = Pg. 
zenith, zenit, a corruption (prob. due to a mis- 
reading of m as ni) of *zemt, < Ar. setnt, saint, in 
semt er-ras, saint nr-ras, the zenith, vertical 
point of the heavens, lit. 'way of the head': 
siint, samt,way, road, path, tract, quarter; al. 
the; ras, head. Cl.azimuth.'i 1. The vertical 
point of the heavens at any place, or the point 
directly above an observer's head ; the upper 
pole of the celestial horizon. The opposed pole 
is the nadir. — 2. Figuratively, the highest 
point, or .summit, as of one's fortune; the cul- 
mination. 
By my prescience 
I find my zenith doth depend upon 
A most auspicious star. 
SMk., Tempest, i. 2. 181. 
Dead ! in that crowning grace of time. 
That triumph of life's zenith hour ! 
Whittier, Rantoul. 
Reflex zenith-tube. See reflex. 
zenithal(ze'nith-al), n. [< zenith + -al.] Of or 
pertaining to the zenith. 
The deep zenithal blue. Tyndall, Glaciers of the Alps, v. 
Zenithal map-projectlon. Hee projection. 
zenith-CoUimator (ze'nith-kol'i-ma-tor), n. A 
collimator an-anged so that its optical axis is 
vertical, instead of horizontal as usually is the 
case. In Kater's vertical collimator the telescope is 
carried by an annular iron float, floating upon mercury. 
Other forms are also used in which the adjustment to 
verticality is made by means of spirit-levels. Also called 
vertical coUimatm: 
zenith-distance (ze'nith-dis'''tans), n. The arc 
intercepted between any body and the zenith, 
being the same as the co-altitude of the body. 
zenith-sector (ze'nith-sek''''tgr), n. An astro- 
nomical instrument for measuring with great 
accuracy the zenith-distances of stars which 
pass near the zenith. It is specially used for this 
purpose in English trigonometrical surveys in determin- 
ing latitudes. It consists essentially, as its name implies, 
of an arc of a divided circle, with appliances for deter- 
mining accurately its zenith-reading. See sector. 
zenith-telescope (ze'nith-tel'e-skop), n. An 
important geodetical instrument for measuring 
the difference of zenith-distances of pairs of 
stars noi'th and south of the zenith. It consists 
of a scmiewhat large telescope pointing nearly to the ze- 
nith, but having a moderate range of motion in altitude 
regulated by a flue tangent screw. The instrument also 
carries a vertical setting-circle with a very delicate level, 
having its tube perpendicular to the horizontal axis of the 
telescope. There is at the eyepiece a thread micrometer, 
working vertically. The telescope, with its horizontal 
axis, is mounted ui)on a very long vertical axis arranged 
with two stops, so that the telescope can be caiTied round 
from the north to the south part of the meridian. The 
difference of zenith-distances of a pair of stars, one north 
and the other south, having been observed, the latitude 
of tlie station is equal to the mean of their declinations 
added to li.alf the excess of the southern over the northern 
zenith-distance. The instrument is the invention of Cap- 
tain A. Talcott, V. S. A. ; but it is said the principle is 
due to the early astronomer Horrocks. 
Zenker's degeneration. Same as uaxy deyen- 
criitinn (//). See waxij^. 
zenoid (ze'noid), a. and n. [< Zeus {Zen-) + 
-aid.] I. a. Of or relating to the J?ew!Vfa'. 
II. n. One of the Zenidse. 
Zenonian (zf-no'ni-an). a. and n. [< L. Zrno(n-), 
< tir. '/.i/vuv. Zeno (sec del), ■+ -?«».] I. a. Of or 
pertaining to any one of the name of Zeno. Spe- 
cifically ~ (fl) Pertaining to the doctrines and arguments of 
zephyr 
Zeno of Elea, a philosopher of the fifth century B. c. Zeno's 
four arguments against motion, which are celebrated, are 
as follows : First, a body passing over any space must 
first pass the middle point, and before it can do that it 
must pass the point midway between that and the start- 
ing-place, and so on ad infiniluvi. This reffressus ad in- 
Jinitmn was regarded as in some way absurd. The second 
argument is called t/ie Achilles, or Achilles and the tor- 
toise. Achilles cannot overtake the tortoise, because it will 
take him a certain time to reach the starting-point of the 
tortoise, anri when he has reached it tile tortoise will still 
have the start, and so on ad infinitum ; and thus he will 
be the sum of an infinite series of times in reaching the 
tortoise, which will be an infinite time. The third argu- 
ment is that a flying arrow at any time occupies a space 
no larger than itself, and in this space it has no roova for 
motion, and therefore at no time has it any motion. The 
fourth argument is quite obscure, but it concludes from 
the consideration of relative motions that the whole of a 
time is equal to its half. Zeno may have come upon the 
difficulty that half an infinite number is equal to the num- 
ber itself. Aristotle calls Zeno the inventor of dialectic — 
that is, of abstract logical reasoning reposing upon the 
principle of contradiction, as opposed to mere inference 
i)y vague association with some general experience. The 
Zenonian arguments are in point of fact attempts at such 
reasoning; but they are gross logical fallacies, arising 
from the fact that the reasoning is not carried out ab- 
stractly, but contents itself with reaching contradictions 
with ordinary inexact experience. 'I'hey have been con- 
sidered wonderful by those students who have come to 
philosophy by the way of theology or natural history with- 
out proper training in mathematics and logic ; and falla- 
cies of the same nature are committed everj- day, even in 
mathematical works. Zenonian minds find some difficulty 
in reasoning either alx>ut discrete or about continuous in- 
finity, because these characters are neither of them direct- 
ly presented to us in experience, and therefore elude asso- 
ciational reasoning. With finite quantity they find no 
such difficulty. But in really logical reasoning, since finite 
quantity is distinguished from infinite quantity in being 
subject to a certain general and complicated condition to 
which the latter is not subject, the latter is more simple 
than the former; and from a similar cause continuous in- 
finity is more easily reasoned about, with logical accuracy, 
than discrete infinity. 
Gorgias's sceptical development of the Zenoni^in logic. 
Encyc. Brit., XXIV. 779. 
(h) Pertaining to Zeno of Citium, the founder of the Stoic 
school of philosophy, who lived between 350 and 250 B. c. 
He committed suicide at an advanced age. 
II. n. A Stoic. 
Zenonic (ze-non'ik), a. [< Zeno{n-) + -if.] 
Same as Zenonian. 
Heraclitus's system was the polar antithesis to this Ze- 
nonic position. The Academy, April 21, 1888, p. 278. 
Zenopsis (ze-nop'sis), ». [NL. (GiU, 1862), 
< Zens (Zen-) + Gr. bijn^, aspect.] A genus of 
dories, of the subfamily Zeninse, differing from 
Zeus mainly in having only three instead of f our 
anal spines. The type is Z. nebulosus of Japan ; an- 
other species is Z. oeellafus of the New England coast, of a 
nearly plain silvery color, but with a black latei-al ocellus. 
See cut under Zenidse. 
zenu (ze'no), n. The goitered antelope, or yel- 
low goat, Piocapra gutturosa. See dzeren. 
zeolite (ze'o-lit), «. [So called by Cronstedt 
from boiling and swelling when heated by 
the blowpipe; < Gr. Chiv, boil, foam, -I- //Sof, 
stone.] A generic name of a gi-oup of hydrated 
double silicates in which the principal bases 
are aluminium and calcium or sodium. They are 
closely allied to the feldspars among anhydrous silicates. 
"They are decomposed by acids, often withgelatinization ; 
and most of them intumesce before the blowpipe. Among 
them are analcite, chabazite, harmotome, stilbite, etc. 
They occur most commonly in cavities and veins in basic 
igneous rocks, as basalt or diabase, as at Bergen Hill, New 
.lersey ; they thus often fill the cavities in amygdaloid. 
zeolitic (ze-0-lit'ik), a. [< zeolite + -ic] Per- 
taining to zeolite; consisting of zeolite or re- 
sembling it. 
zeolitiform (ze-o-lit'i-form). a. [< zeolite + L. 
ftirnid. form.] Having the form of zeolite. 
zeolitization (ze-o-lit-i-za'shon), n. [< zeolite 
+ -izc + -ation.'] The process by which a min- 
eral is converted into a zeolite by alteration — 
for examjile, nepheline into thomsonite. 
zeorine (ze'o-nn), a. [< Zeora, a genus of 
lichens, + -(«cl.] In hot., noting, in lichens, 
an apothecium in which a proper exeiple is in- 
closed in the thalline exeiple. 
Zephiroth (zef'i-roth), «. jil. Same as Sephi- 
roth. 
Zephronia (zef-ro'ni-a), H. [NL. (J. E. Gray. 
1842).] Same as Sphseivtheriuni. 
Zephroniidse (zef-ro-ni'i-de), «. pi. [NL., < 
Zephronia + -irf/e.] Same as Sphserofheriidfe . 
J. E. lirinj. 
zephyr (zef'er), n. [< F. zephiie = Sp. zefiro 
= Pg. zi/ihi/ro = It. zeffiro, zefiro, < L. zephi/rus, 
< Or. ^t<l>vpoc, the west wind ; cf . CA<lioc. darkness, 
gloom, the west.] 1. The west wind: poeti- 
cally, any soft, mild, gentle breeze. 
As gentle 
As zephyrs blowing below the violet. 
Not wagging his sweet head. 
Shot., Cymbeline, iv. 2. 172. 
2. In tntiiin., a buttei-fly of the genus Zephyrus. 
— 3. A trade-name for a textile fabric or yam, 
