English Explanatory Dictionary

zilch

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A nobody: a person who is worthless in importance or character.
  2. Nothing, zero.
adj
  1. No, zero, non-existent.
verb
  1. To cause to score nothing, to thoroughly defeat.
name
  1. A surname from German.

Pronunciation

zĭlch /zɪlt͡ʃ/ en-au-zilch.ogg LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-zilch.wav

Word forms

zilch zilches zilching zilched

Etymology

Probably from Joe Zilch, a placeholder name (compare John Doe) used by Nunnally Johnson in his column in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle from 1923; in turn from Joe Zilch, an unseen character referenced in comedian Frank Tinney's stage routine. Compare the rare German surname Zilch.

Synonyms

absolute zero also-ran chopped liver cipher crumb Joe Nobody little guy minnow nebbish nobody no one nothing nothingburger nonentity picayune pip-squeak pleb peon prole puny quidam rinky-dink shrimp wankstain zero zilch shutout

Translations

Arabic: بوش Esperanto: nenio Finnish: ei-kukaan French: que dalle French: que pouic German: nix Japanese: 何も Pannonian Rusyn: нїч Portuguese: nadica Romanian: canci Romanian: ioc Romanian: boacă Romanian: nulitate Romanian: neica nimeni Russian: ничего́ Russian: ни черта́ Russian: ни фига́ Russian: ни шиша́ Russian: ни хрена́ Russian: ни хуя́ Russian: ни хера́ Swedish: noll Swedish: nolla Swedish: ingenting Turkish: hiç Turkish: değersiz
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