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Weird Word Wednesdays: Zeitgeber, zapateado and Zyzzogeton

For today’s Weird Word Wednesday, let’s look at three words that start with the letter Z: Zeitgeber, zapateado and Zyzzogeton.

Here’s what www.merriam-webster (unabridged edition) says about these weird words:

zeitgeber

Pronunciation: [ ˈtsītˌgābər ]

Part of speech: Noun

Definition:  An environmental agent or event (such as the occurrence of light or dark) that provides the stimulus setting or resetting a biological clock of an organism.

Language origin: German

“Zeitgeber.” Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/zeitgeber. Accessed 11 Apr. 2022.

zapateado

Pronunciation: [ ˌzäpətēˈä(ˌ)dō ]

Part of speech: Noun

Definition: A rhythmic stamping or tapping step characteristic of Spanish dancing or a Spanish or Latin-American dance marked by the zapateado Language origin: Spanish

“Zapateado.” Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/zapateado. Accessed 11 Apr. 2022.

Zyzzogeton

Pronunciation: [ ˌzizəˈjēˌtän ]

Part of speech: Noun

Definition: A genus of large South American leafhoppers (family Cicadellidae) having the pronotum tuberculate and the front tibiae grooved.

Language origin: New Latin and Greek

“Zyzzogeton.” Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/Zyzzogeton. Accessed 11 Apr. 2022.

Posted in Pamela, Weird Word Wednesdays