zed

Meanings

1. The name of the Latin script letter Z/z.
2. Something Z-shaped.
3. Sleep.
4. A zombie.

1. To sleep or nap. (Compare zzz, catch some z's.)
2. To zigzag; to move with sharp alternating turns.

1. A diminutive of the male given name Zedekiah.

1. Alternative form of Z (“a member of Generation Z”).
2. Alternative letter-case form of zed.

Etymology

From Middle English zed, zedde, zede, from Old French zede, from Late Latin zeta, from Ancient Greek ζῆτα (zêta), from Hebrew ז (zayin) with influence from βῆτα (bêta), ἦτα (êta) and θῆτα (thêta). The letter had a rare usage in Old English, such as in bezt, where it represented "ts" (compare the German, Italian, and Finnish pronunciation of Z). For the sleep sense, see zzz. The zombie sense comes from the initial letter. Doublet of zeta. Cognate to Spanish zeta, German Zett, French zède, Italian zeta, and perhaps Portuguese zê.