zephyr

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A light wind from the west.
  2. Any light refreshing wind; a gentle breeze.
  3. Anything of fine, soft, or light quality, especially fabric.
  4. A type of soft confectionery made by whipping fruit and berry purée (mostly apple purée) with sugar and egg whites with subsequent addition of a gelling agent like pectin, carrageenan, agar, or gelatine.
verb
  1. To blow or move like a zephyr, or light breeze.
  2. To blow or blow on gently like a zephyr; to cool or refresh with a gentle breeze.
name
  1. The god of the West Wind.
  2. The west wind personified.
  3. A surname.

Pronunciation

/ˈzɛfə(ɹ)/ /ˈzɛfɚ/ en-us-zephyr.ogg LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-zephyr.wav /ˈzɛfə/

Word forms

zephyr zephyrs zephir zephyring zephyred Zephyrus

Etymology

From Latin zephyrus (“west wind”), from Ancient Greek Ζέφυρος (Zéphuros). Doublet of zefir, zéphire, Zephyr, and Zephyrus. The confectionery sense is a semantic loan from Russian зефи́р (zefír).

Synonyms

Related words

Derived words

zephyr cloth zephyrean zephyrian zephyr lily zephyrous zephyr shawl zephyr worsted zephyr yarn zephyrette
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