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zephyr - 5 dictionary results

zeph⋅yr

  [zef-er]
Use zephyr in a Sentence
–noun
1. a gentle, mild breeze.
2. (initial capital letter) Literary. the west wind.
3. any of various things of fine, light quality, as fabric, yarn, etc.
Origin:
bef. 1000 for def. 2; ME < L zephyrus < Gk zéphyros the west wind; r. ME zeferus, zephirus, OE zefferus < L as above

Synonyms:
1. See wind 1 .
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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zeph·yr   (zěf'ər)   
n.  
  1. The west wind.
    A gentle breeze.
  2. Any of various soft light fabrics, yarns, or garments.
  3. Something that is airy, insubstantial, or passing.

[Middle English Zephirus, Zephyrus, from Latin Zephyrus, from Greek Zephuros.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Zephyr

Zeph"yr\, n. [L. zephyrus, Gr. ?, akin to ? darkness, the dark side, west: cf. F. z['e]phyr.] The west wind; poetically, any soft, gentle breeze. "Soft the zephyr blows." --Gray.

As gentle As zephyrs blowing below the violet. --Shak.

Zephyr cloth, a thin kind of cassimere made in Belgium; also, a waterproof fabric of wool.

Zephyr shawl, a kind of thin, light, embroidered shawl made of worsted and cotton.

Zephyr yarn, or worsted, a fine, soft kind of yarn or worsted, -- used for knitting and embroidery.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Zephyr [(zef-uhr)]

The Greek and Roman god of the west wind, considered the most pleasant of the winds.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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zephyr 
1369, from O.E. Zefferus, from L. Zephyrus, from Gk. Zephyros "the west wind" (sometimes personified as a god), probably related to zophos "the west, the dark region, darkness, gloom." Sense of "mild breeze" is c.1610.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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