zephyr means the god of the West Wind. It carries an Arena rating of 1979, earned across 66 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, zephyr ranks #16 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #71 of 42,762 for Qualifying, #96 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #565 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words.
zephyr is pronounced /ˈzɛfɚ/.
Why “zephyr” is a great word
A gentle, mild breeze, especially one from the west, often carrying connotations of lightness and pleasantness. From Latin Zephyrus ("west wind"), from Ancient Greek Ζέφυρος (Zéphuros, the god of the west wind). Unlike a "gale," which arrives with considerable force and clamor, or a "draft," which is a confined and often unwelcome intrusion, a zephyr is a soft, public beneficence from the open air. It is the touch that stirs a field of tall grass into a whispering, silver-green sea, the breath that carries the scent of apple blossom from an unseen orchard, and the unseen hand that turns the page of a book left on a garden table—a minor deity of fleeting comfort in a world of sharper elements.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek Ζέφυρος (Zéphuros).
name
- The god of the West Wind.
- The west wind personified.
- A surname.
noun
- A light wind from the west.
- Any light refreshing wind; a gentle breeze.
- Anything of fine, soft, or light quality, especially fabric.
- 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
- To blow or move like a zephyr, or light breeze.e.g.“There was a time
When the soft zephyring spring came joyfully,
Like a young bride, with bloom upon her cheek—” — 1879, Robert Stephen Hawker, “An Inscription for an Aged Oak”, in The Poetical Works, London: The Bodley Head, page 171:
- To blow or blow on gently like a zephyr; to cool or refresh with a gentle breeze.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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