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单词 Z
释义 Z
(zɛd, U.S. ziː)
the twenty-sixth and last letter of the English and other modern alphabets, derives its form, through the medium of the Latin and Greek alphabets, from the Phœnician and ancient Hebrew {semzayin1} {semzayin2} {semzayin3} (Hebrew ‭ז zayin); in the Phœnician, Greek, and earlier Roman alphabets it was the seventh letter, in the later Roman alphabet the twenty-third. Greek Ζ ζ seems to have had originally the phonetic value |zd| or |dz|, but later simple |z|. Instances of z are found in early Latin, but Greek ζ was more commonly represented initially by s, e.g. sōna (Plautus) = ζώνη, and medially by ss, e.g. cōmissor = κωµάζω, massa = µᾶζα mass n.2, but after b.c. 100 z came into regular use to render the ζ of Greek loan-words. In consequence of the phonetic change of |dz| to |dj| exemplified by the spelling baptidiare for baptizare, Gr. βαπτίζειν to baptize, z in popular Latin came to denote |dj| and probably |j|, as in zaconus for diaconus deacon, zeta for dieta (see zeta1), zunior for junior (cf. the spellings Zopen, Zope in Cursor Mundi for Joppa). For the use of z for initial x see X.
Z was used in OE. in the spelling of alien words, and (with or without t or d) in certain loan-words, as bæ(d)zere (L. baptista + -ere -er1) baptist, mertze (L. mercem, merx), with the value (ts); this use was continued in ME., e.g. mildze, milz(c)e, milce n., and was reinforced by French usage, as shown in forms like caliz chalice, croiz cross, voiz voice, vestimenz, pl. of vestiment. This phonetic value is preserved in, and indicated by the spelling of, mod.E. assets (AF. asetz, OF. asez enough, pop.L. ad-satis) and the patronymic prefix Fitz- (AF. fiz = fius, fils, L. fīlius).
In French, the reduction of |ts| to |s| brought about a change of spelling from z to s (often alternating with x, e.g. vois, voix), and this helped to set free z to denote the voiced s appropriate to such ‘learned’ adoptions as zone (which appears as early as the 12th c., Ph. de Thaun). In English, by the end of the 13th c., z is found with the later OF. value |z| in ‘learned’ words, e.g. zizanny tares (Cursor Mundi 1138); it is conspicuous in the Ayenbite of Inwyt (c 1340) as the symbol for the voiced s characteristic of southern dialects (e.g. Kentish zenne, OE. synn sin); by the end of the 14th c. the character had become general, e.g. gaze, mazed, canonize.
In MSS. of 1300 onwards the tailed z and ȝ came to be indistinguishable in form (cf. first quot. s.v. zed); hence in modern editions are found many instances of spellings such as ȝelot zealot, Sarȝine Saracen. This identity of the two symbols was perpetuated in the typography of early Scottish printers, who represented the sounds |j| and |z| by the same characters, as in such words as ze ye, zeir year, forzet forget, fenzeit feigned, and azure, zele zeal. This confusion has led to the general mispronunciation by Englishmen of capercailzie |-ˈkeːlji, corruptly -ˈkeɪlzɪ|, and proper names such as Cadzow, Dalziel, Mackenzie, Menzies |ˈmiŋɪs|.
a1814J. Ramsay Scot. & Scotsm. 18th Cent. (1888) I. 212 note, He [sc. Lord Kames] used to say that pronouncing the letter z in the names Mackenzie and Menzies in the English was enough to turn his stomach.
The name given to the letter in England (presumably since the Norman Conquest) has been zed, q.v., or one of its variants, zad, zard, izzard, ezod, uzzard. With the disyllabic forms, which survive dialectally, cf. F. edez, ? for ezed (Coyfurelly, 14th cent.), ézed (Claude de Saint-Lien, 1580), Prov. izedo, Cat. idzeta, app. from pop.L. *idzēta, a. Gr. ζῆτα |ˈdzɛːta|. The names ez (Gil, Logonomia Anglica, 1619) and ze (C. Butler, Eng. Gram., 1633) do not seem to represent actual usage, but are (like ya and yi as names of y) systematic inventions of these phonetic writers. The name zee, now standard in the United States of America, appears to have had some early currency in England.
Initially and medially z occurs largely in words of Greek or Oriental origin, e.g. zeal, azimuth, Amazon, zenith; and in this Dictionary the spelling of the suffix derived ultimately from Greek -ίζειν has been normalized throughout as -ize, q.v. In other classes of words the use of z has been determined by various circumstances, e.g. the immediate source of the word, as in bronze, or the desirability of an unambiguous or distinctive spelling, as in ooze (cf. loose), prize (cf. price). It is found in a number of monosyllabic words (and their derivatives), as craze, daze, laze, maze, doze, gloze, gauze, furze, blowze, size, assize, seize, freeze, wheeze.
One fact which has told against an extensive use of it instead of s to represent the sound |z| is the difficulty of writing the character rapidly and intelligibly; this is referred to by Mulcaster, 1st Part of Elementarie, 1582, p. 123:—
Z, is a consonant much heard amongst vs, and seldom sene. I think by reason it is not so redie to the pen as s, is, which is become lieutenant generall to z, as gàse, amàse, ràsur, where z, is heard, but, s, sene.
It is remarkable that in the three words cited by him the ultimate decision has been in favour of the spelling with z. In certain words usage fluctuated even in modern times until s or z prevailed, as in tease and teaze, pose and poze, surprise and surprize; rase and raze are specifically differentiated.
Z is normally employed to denote |z|, the blade-open-voice consonant, the voiced analogue of |s|. In the combination -zure in azure it denotes |ʒ|, a sound commonly denoted by other means, as in pleasure, decision, lesion, transition.
I.
1. The letter, or its sound.
c1000ælfric Gram. ii. (Z.) 6 Z, eac, se grecisca stæf, ᵹeendað on a. Se stæf is ᵹenumen of Grecum to ledenspræce for greciscum wordum.1528in Ellis E.E. Pron. iii. 816 S betwene two vowelles, pronounceth [sic] by .z.1530Palsgr. 38 The x by this rule shalbe sounded lyke an z [i.e. ezod].c1532G. Du Wes Introd. Fr. in Palsgr. 901 If ye do adde a z, at the latter ende of them, than are they plurell nombres.1611Cotgr. Fr. Dict. Brief Direct. Nnnn j b, The tongue in the former [guerre] giuing onely a touch to the palate, and sounding the later [poison] as if it were a Z.1668Wilkins Real Char. iii. xii. 369 (Z) is by some stiled (S) molle... (Zh) the sonorous Consonant, and (Sh) its correspondent mute.1669Holder Elem. Speech 43 The vowel I, partaking also of the nature of a Consonant, added to Z, comes very near to the sound of Zh, as Zya.1792W. Roberts Looker-on No. 32 ⁋8 The Z's, an ancient sign at grocers shops, look very enigmatical; but I am told they allude to the word zinziber, or ginger, and intimated the sale of that article.1838Dickens O. Twist ii, I have got names ready made to the end of the alphabet, and all the way through it again, when we come to Z.
2. The letter considered with respect to its shape; a figure or object of this shape. Also attrib., as Z-bar, a metal bar having a cross-section of a form resembling a Z; so Z-iron; Z-bend, a series of bends in a road forming a shape like a letter Z; Z-crank, a crank of zigzag form, used in marine engines; Z-fold a. (of print-out paper) in a continuous strip that comes folded in alternate directions in a stacked pile; Z-plan Archit., the ground-plan of a type of Scottish castle having a central block with a tower placed at each of two diagonally opposite corners; Z-plastic a. Surg., involving the use of Z-shaped incisions; also as n., Z-plastic surgery; so Z-plasty, a technique in which one or more Z-shaped incisions is made (the diagonals forming one straight line) and the two triangular flaps of skin so formed are rotated and drawn across the diagonal before being stitched, so as to give a less obvious Z-shaped scar and minimize the effect of contraction; an operation in which this technique is used; also Comb., as Z-shaped a., in the shape of a Z; spec. in Archæol., designating a rod motif found on Pictish stones.
1680Moxon Mech. Exerc. xiii. 223 Bent backwards and forwards..somewhat like an z [i.e. ezod or izzard].1688Holme Armoury iii. 408/2 A Roman Z.1711Steele Spect. No. 17. ⁋2 The Irregularity of his Shape, which he describes as very much resembling the Letter Z.1820Death of Minuet 24 in Edin. Mag. VI. 453 No more the well taught feet shall tread The figure of the mazy Z.1852Househ. Words IV. 423/1 The road winds up the side of the cone like a strung series of Zs.1858Simmonds Dict. Trade, Z-crank, the peculiarly-shaped crank of a cylinder, in a newly-invented engine for marine propulsion.1877W. H. White Naval Archit. ix. 360 Provided the thin iron plating..be stiffened by angle-bars, T bars, or Z bars riveted to its surface.Ibid. x. 386 Z-iron..is used for frames behind armour in ironclads.1880Jos. Anderson Scotl. in Early Chr. T. Ser. ii. (1881) 114 The Z and kindred varieties of this ornament.1887Macgibbon & Ross Castellated & Domestic Architect. Scotl. II. 6 As one form of plan is designated the L plan, it has occurred to us that the form we are now considering might..be called the Z plan. We have accordingly adopted this nomenclature.1889Welch Text Bk. Naval Archit. vi. 89 Instead of these Z bars, earlier vessels have the frames at their ends made up of two angle bars riveted back to back.1893Madan Bks. in MS. 53 The Z-patterns (fine lines arranged diagonally, like natural and reversed Zeds combined).1901Proc. Soc. Antiquaries Scotl. XI. 91 The double-disc and crescent symbols of the Pictish stones may be connected with the worship of the Blessed Virgin, the Z and V-shaped rods being her floriated sceptre.1908F. R. Fraprie Castles & Keeps of Scotl. i. 22 A new and entirely Scotch plan is very common. This has been called the zigzag or Z plan.1913S. L. McCurdy in Surg., Gynecol. & Obstetr. XVI. 209 (heading) Z-plastic surgery.Ibid. 212/2 (caption) Z-plastic operation of the neck for burn scar.1927Sc. N & Q. 3rd Ser. V. 2/1 Two plates of silver engraved with the double disc and Z-shaped rod symbol.1934Surg., Gynecol. & Obstetr. LVIII. 178/1 Davis has been interested in tracing the history of the use of Z plastic.1940Ibid. LXX. 942/1, 2 patients returned for further work after a Z plasty with skin graft.1958New Statesman 1 Nov. 590/2 The shops were grouped round the angles of a Z-bend in the road.1964R. Battle Plastic Surg. xii. 316 A Z-plasty should be done only on one aspect of the finger at a time, thereby avoiding complete disruption of the circulation.1967Electronics 6 Mar. 282/2 The smudge is gone from Z-fold paper.1967I. Henderson Picts v. 104 A selection of the commoner symbols is illustrated here, the most common of all being the crescent with an applied V-shaped rod, the double disc with an applied Z-shaped rod.1973J. Leasor Host of Extras v. 69 About twelve miles of diabolical Z-bends.1977Proc. R. Soc. Med. LXX. 256/2 The Achilles tendon is lengthened by Z-plasty and then the posterior capsules of the ankle and subtalar joints are incised transversely.1977Clinics in Plastic Surg. IV. 207/1 Z-shaped techniques other than Z-plasties, which are referred to as ‘Z-plastics’, differ in the movement or lack of movement of the flaps formed by the zigzag incision.1978A. & G. Ritchie Anc. Monuments Orkney 79 Began 1560, it is an excellent example of a Z-plan castle, comprising towers at diagonally opposite corners of a main block.1982Computerworld (U.S.) 15 Mar. 66 It [sc. a digital plotter] also uses Z-fold paper and disposable fiber-tip pens.
3. As the last letter of the alphabet; hence allusively for ‘end’, esp. in phr. from A to Z = from beginning to end, all through, in every particular. (Cf. It. dall' A alla Zeta.)
1819Keats Otho v. v, We must obey The prince from A to Z.1876Browning Fears & Scruples v, Ask the experts! How they shake the head O'er these characters,..Call them forgery from A to Z!1877Jas. Wells Bible Echoes 297 Christ is the A, and the Z of the Bible.1912L. Tracy Mirabel's Isl. v. (1915) 77, I know Ealing from A to Z, but have never visited Regent Street.
4. Used (usually repeated) to represent a buzzing sound; also conventionally representing the sound of snoring. Hence Z-ing vbl. n., and as v. intr. to make such a noise or noises.
1852Thoreau Summer 15 June, The dry z-ing of the locust is heard.1884R. W. Buchanan New Abelard i, The bats were seen flitting with thin z-like cry high up over the waterside.1893Kipling Many Invent. 103 The oars rip out and go z-zzp all along the line.1902S. E. White Blazed Trail ii, The rhythmical z-z-z! z-z-z! [of the saw].1909H. G. Wells Tono-Bungay i. ii. 67 He had a way of drawing air in at times through his teeth that gave a whispering zest to his speech. It's a sound I can only represent as a soft Zzzz.Ibid. iii. ii. 326 He meditated for a time and Zzzzed softly.1924Dialect Notes V. 259 Z-z-z (buzzing, or snoring).1951Blue Book Magazine Jan. 25/1 A spark danced between two terminals, a filament snake spat an irate, ‘Zzzt!’1966L. Cohen Beautiful Losers i. 16 Hiccup, jerk, zzzzzz, snort.1967V. C. Welburn Johnny so Long ii. i. 46 Lola: (makes buzzing noise) Zzzzzzz.1975New Yorker 21 Apr. 36/3 David sits in the chair, puts his arms on the armrests, presses his neck against the back of the chair, and moves his feet together. ‘Zzzz,’ he says, and his head falls forward.1976Cambridge Independent Press 16 Dec. ii. 3/2 The zzzzz-noise of the electric hare gliding past the opening traps grabs everyone's attention.1983Private Eye 4 Nov. 6/2 Once you have hit on a commercial product you just go on producing more of the same, over and..zzzz..over and..zzzz..over and..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.1984Wall Street Jrnl. 9 Oct. 28/2 We suspect public interest..more nearly resembles a cartoonist's depiction of a man sawing wood—ZZZZZZZZZ.1984Oxford Star 29/30 Nov. 19/3 Zzzzing off for forty winks on a regular basis may not sound much like Action Man stuff, but for Alex Gardner it's the most exciting part of the day.
b. In colloq. phr. to catch some z's and varr., to get some sleep (where z represents the sound of snoring). U.S.
Pronounced |ziːz| in the U.S.
1963Amer. Speech XXXVIII. 174 An onomatopoetic construction reported four times is get some Z's... Variants occurring once were: bagging Z's, copping some Z's, cutting Z's, and knocking out Z's.1973A. Dundes Mother Wit 238 Got to go..cop me some z's.1977C. McFadden Serial (1978) xxxii. 71/1 All Harvey wanted..was to pop his Sominex and catch a few z's.
II. Symbolic uses.
5. Math. Used as the symbol for the third of a set of unknown or variable quantities (the first and second being denoted by x and y); spec. in Analytical Geometry of three dimensions, for a quantity measured in the direction of the third axis of coordinates (hence called the axis of z, now always z-axis; also transf.).
For the history see X 3 note.
1660,1709[see X 3].1929, etc. [see X 3 a].1967Electronics 6 Mar. 2 (Advt.), Plug-in markers offer not only variable band⁓width, but also Z-axis or pulse-type marking.
6. Used abstractly for the name of a person or thing: cf. X 3, 3 c, Y 5.
1798,1901[see X 3 c].1833Newman Let. to Froude 13 Nov., Palmer musters the Z.'s [sc. Establishment men] in great force against the tracts, and some Evangelicals.1848Hannay Biscuits & Grog 109 Lord X, the Marquis of Y, and Baron Z.1880‘Mark Twain’ Tramp Abr. xiii, Mr. X. pranced in in his long night garment with a candle, young Z. after him with another candle.
7. Used, like the other letters of the alphabet, to denote position in a series.
1842Dickens Amer. Notes viii, We dismounted with as much ease and comfort as though we had been escorted by the whole Metropolitan Force from A to Z inclusive.1860Sala Baddington P. xxiv, A very Rabelais of the Z division.Ibid., Z. 92 saw the striped bracelet of a sergeantcy in perspective.1862Thackeray Philip xxxviii, ‘Tell that to his worship,’ says the incredulous Z.1867‘Ouida’ Cecil Castlemaine's Gage etc. 381 He exchanged into the Z Battery going out to India.
8. Genetics. Z is used to designate the male-determining sex chromosome in species in which the female rather than the male is the heterogametic sex.
1917T. H. Morgan in Amer. Naturalist LI. 534 Since the female here [sc. in pigeons] is the heterozygotic sex (ZW) the results are such as would follow a direct influence on the sex chromosomes when the polar body is eliminated.1925Ibid. LIX. 133 The locus of the male tendency gene (M) is in the ‘Z-chromosome’ of which two are present in the male and one in the female.1966Lancet 24 Dec. 1397/2 The phenotypic expression of plumage factors on the Z chromosome of birds seems to be a function, principally, of gene dosage.1971[see heterogametic a.].1976Nature 17 June 598/2 In avian species, the heterogametic (Z W) female sex possesses W-linked histocompatibility antigen.
9. Physics. Z is the symbol for the atomic number of an element.
1931Proc. R. Soc. A. CXXXIII. 234 We have taken Z = 8 (oxygen).1962F. I. Ordway et al. Basic Astronautics xii. 502 Electrons such as those in the outer Van Allen radiation belt are easily stopped by a few millimeters of a low-Z material such as aluminum or magnesium.1978P. W. Atkins Physical Chem. xiv. 438 The next atom to build is lithium, Z = 3.
10. Z is used to denote one of the two directions of twist in spinning (see quot. 1935); hence z-spun adj.
1935[see S II. 8].1964H. Hodges Artifacts ix. 128 In thigh spinning, for example, a right-handed person will almost always produce Z-spun yarn.1980A. Fritz Fibre of Clothing iii. 40 There are two types of twist possible in a yarn. One is an S twist, the other a Z twist.
11. Particle Physics. Z is the symbol of a heavy, uncharged vector boson that forms a triplet with the two Ws.
1967S. Weinberg in Physical Rev. Lett. XIX. 1265/2 The only unequivocal new predictions made by this model have to do with the couplings of the neutral intermediate meson Zµ.Ibid. 1266/1 Our Zµ and Wµ mesons get their mass from the spontaneous breaking of the symmetry.1971― in Ibid. XXVII. 1688 This procedure..resulted in a model involving electrons, electron-type neutrinos, charged intermediate bosons (Wµ), neutral intermediate bosons (Zµ), [etc.].1977Dædalus Fall 32 The family of intermediate vector bosons, of which the photon is a member, is believed to contain one heavy charged particle and its anti⁓particle, called the W+ and W-, and one even heavier neutral particle, called the Z°.1982[see W 4 b].1983New Scientist 12 May 355 (heading) CERN physicists find the Z particle.1983Nature 25 Aug. 686/2 This resulted in a total of six examples of the Z particle (four decaying into e+e- and two into µ+µ-) and 52 W{pm} particles.
III. Abbreviations.
12. a. ZANU, Zanu, Zimbabwe African National Union; ZAPU, Zapu, Zimbabwe African People's Union; ZBB (U.S.), zero-base(d) budgeting; Z-DNA (Biochem.), DNA in which the double helix has a left-handed rather than the usual right-handed twist and the sugar phosphate backbone follows a zigzagged course; ZPG, zero population growth. See also Z band (s.v. Z line), Z line.
1963Times 10 Aug. 5/2 The split in the Southern Rhodesian African nationalist movement has come to a head. A breakaway group..has formed..the Zimbabwe African National Union. The president is the Rev. Ndabaninge Sithole, formerly one of Mr. Nkomo's staunchest lieutenants, as are all the members of the new *Zanu executive.1964Ann. Reg. 1963 ii. v. 105 On 8 August a new organization, the Zimbabwe African National Union (Z.A.N.U.), was formed with the Rev. Sithole as leader.1977Times 17 Sept. 15/3 Nobody wants to clear an arena for a final fight between Zapu and Zanu armies for supremacy.
1961Guardian 18 Dec. 1/3 A new African political party, to be known as the Zimbabwe African People's Union, has been launched in Southern Rhodesia..by Mr. J. M. N. Nkomo... Mr. Nkomo said..*ZAPU would press for immediate negotiations for a fresh constitutional arrangement.1972J. Biggs-Davison Africa—Hope Deferred xi. 100 The rival parties Z.A.P.U. and Z.A.N.U.1977Daily Times (Lagos) 27 Jan. 3/2 Mr. Moyo..was with Nkomo in ZAPU before the revolt which Nkomo faced prior to 1963.
1976N.Y. Times 27 Aug. d 1 *Z.B.B., as it is widely known, calls for the justification of all spending in relation to priorities.1978National Civic Review LXVII. 132 ZBB was formally delineated and put into practice for the first time by Texas Instruments, Inc., 15 years ago.
1979A. H.-J. Wang et al. in Nature 13 Dec. 681/2 In looking at this left-handed helix..it is apparent that the ribose-phosphate backbone follows a zig-zag course resulting from alternating residue conformations. Accordingly, we propose to call this *Z-DNA.1983Sci. Amer. Dec. 92/1 In Z DNA..the repeating unit of the helix is not a single base pair, as it is in A and B DNA, but rather two successive base pairs: G–C followed by C–G.
1970N.Y. Times 3 June 61/6 Of all the cries that have arisen, perhaps none is quite so superficially appealing, or so profound in its long-range social and economic implications, as zero population growth—‘*ZPG’ in the slogans of the day.1978Nature 6 Apr. 491/3 This may have reduced the maximum possible number of children per female to around five, and it does not then require harsh assumptions about mortality rates to end up with ZPG.
b. In combinations containing the abbreviation Z followed by a word, as Z-car, a police patrol car (after the title of a popular U.K. television series, from the radio call-sign ‘zulu’ allotted therein to a group of such cars); also used allusively; Z-day Mil. = zero day s.v. zero n. 7 a.
1961Radio Times 28 Dec. 29/2 The call-sign is ZULU—they call them Z-cars. There are two young constables in each, ready to deal with trouble.1963Daily Mail 23 Apr. 1/6 (heading) Z-car crashes.1965Sunday Mail (Brisbane) 19 Dec. 32/5 Two black Z-cars—powerful Humbers—keep driving around the half-mile circle every five minutes watching for strangers.1976‘D. Craig’ Faith Hope & Death xviii. 127 It's not like Barlow and Z Cars, all that shouting stuff and strong jaws. These boys, they was slimy.
1925Fraser & Gibbons Soldier & Sailor Words & Phrases 312 The opening of the main attack of the battle of the Somme was fixed for June 29th, and notified beforehand as ‘Z Day’.1930S. Sassoon Mem. Infantry Officer iv. 61 Operation Orders..notified us that Thursday was ‘Z’ (or zero) day.1938Blunden On Several Occasions In the sour concrete hole the corporal shows his muddy map, his Z Day zone of fire.




Z-bed n. chiefly Brit. (also with lower-case initial) a type of folding portable bed with a three-part metal frame which folds into a flat Z-shape for easy storage; a camp bed; cf. zed-bed n. at zed n. Additions.
1973Oshkosh (Wisconsin) Daily Northwestern 20 Sept. 31/2 (advt.) For sale: 1970 VW Bus with sun roof and *Z-bed.2001L. Voss To be Someone 174 ‘I'd rather sleep on the floor than share with Joe’, said David, hurling himself onto the damp Z-bed under the window.
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