Oxford - Oxford Basic American Dictionary

"Z."

ze . bra / 'zibra /

noun [ count ] ( plural ze - bras or ze bra )

an African wild animal like a horse, with black and white lines on its body

zig • zag / ' zigzreg / noun [ count ]

a line that goes up and down, like a lot of letter Ws, one after the other

—Look at the picture at line .

Zinc / zigk / noun [ noncount ] ( symbol Zn ) ( CHEMISTRY ) a blue-white metal

Zip / zip / verb ( zips , zip - ping , zipped )

to fasten something together with a zipper She zipped up her dress.

zip code ( also ZIP code ) / ' zip koud / noun

[count]

a group of numbers that you write at the end of an address I want to send you a package — what's your ZIP code?

zip • per / ' zipar / noun [ count ] a long metal or plastic thing with a small part that you pull to close and open things like clothes and bags

the zo • di • ac / da 'zoudiffik / noun [ singular ]

a diagram of the positions of the planets and stars, which is divided into twelve equal parts. Each part has a special name and symbol the twelve signs of the zodiac

—Look at astrology .

zom • bie / ' zambi / noun [ count ]

(in stories) a dead body that has been made alive again by magic

a movie about zombies

zone / zoun / noun [ count ]

a special area that is different from other areas around it Do not enter the danger zone!

zoo / zu / noun [ count ] ( plural zoos )

a place where wild animals are kept, and people can go to look at them

zo • ol • o • gy / zou ' alad3i / noun [ noncount ] ( BIOLOGY ) the scientific study of animals

zoom / zum / verb ( zooms, zoom - ing, zoomed )

to move very fast

The traffic zoomed past us.

zoom in ; zoom out to make something that you are looking at through a camera bigger or smaller by changing the picture controls

The camera zoomed in on a face in the crowd.

If you zoom out, you'll get more background to the picture.

zuc • chi • ni / zu' kini /

( plural zuc chi - ni or zuc - chi - nis ) noun [ count ]

a long vegetable that is green on the outside and white on the inside

—Look at the picture at vegetable .

ze • ro / zirou / number ( plural ze - ros )

the number 0

nothing at all; none

My chances of passing the test are almost zero.

( PHYSICS ) o° Fahrenheit or Celsius

The temperature is five degrees below zero .

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