zephyr
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zephyr¹
- /ˈzɛfə(ɹ)/ UK
- /ˈzɛfɚ/ US
Rhymes with -ɛfə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
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).
noun zephyrs · zephir
-
A light wind from the west.
The Western [winds] have been Counted the mildest, & most Auspicious of all others; and were so highly in favour with the Poets, that they thought them worthy of the Golden Age, and to refresh the Elysian groves. [...] But though the Breathing Zephyrs are so much celebrated in Poems and Romances, an
Similar: westerly
- Any light refreshing wind; a gentle breeze. O thou Goddeſſe, / Thou diuine Nature; thou^([sic – meaning how]) thy ſelfe thou blazon'ſt / In theſe two Princely Boyes: they are as gentle / As Zephires blowing below the Violet, / Not wagging his ſweet head; [...]
- Anything of fine, soft, or light quality, especially fabric. The world hummed and spun about him. There was a whirling of zephyr skirts, four impassioned faces sweeping towards the open door of the passage that ran through the vicarage. He felt his position went with them.
- 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. In 1953 the Russian Republic Ministry of the Food Products Industry increased confectionery output 10% above 1952, including wrapped and packaged confectionery 46%, chocolates 57%, toffee 65%, fruit preserves, pastilles and Zephyrs 20% and halva—by 36%.
verb zephyrs · zephyring · zephyred · zephir
- To blow or move like a zephyr, or light breeze. There was a time When the soft zephyring spring came joyfully, Like a young bride, with bloom upon her cheek—
- To blow or blow on gently like a zephyr; to cool or refresh with a gentle breeze. 1849, letter from Leonidas Lent Hamline dated 15 December, 1849, in Walter Clark Palmer, Life and Letters of Leonidas L. Hamline, D.D., New York: Carlton & Porter, 1866, Chapter 15, p. 361, He was a fragrant poison, a zephyred pestilence spread through all the city.
Zephyr²
- /ˈzɛfɚ/ US
- /ˈzɛfə/ UK
Where it comes from
From Ancient Greek Ζέφυρος (Zéphuros).
proper noun Zephyrus
- The god of the West Wind. For a Tempeſt. Take Eurus, Zephyr, Auſter and Boreas, and caſt them together in one Verſe. Add to theſe of Rain, Lightning, and of Thunder (the loudeſt you can) quantum ſufficit. Mix your Clouds and Billows well together till they foam, and thicken your Deſcription here and there with a Quickſand. B
- The west wind personified.
- A surname. Even as her Republican peers sought to isolate her in the wake of her impassioned comments against a proposed ban on what doctors call gender-affirming medical care for children, Ms. Zephyr said she would not remain idle.
Translations
Every language
noun light refreshing wind; a gentle breeze — see also breeze
| Español | céfiro |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 微風 soyokaze |
| 中文 | 和風 /和风 héfēng, 微風 /微风 wéifēng |
| हिन्दी | समीर samīr |
| Português | zéfiro |
| Français | zéphyr |
| Deutsch | Zephir |
| Italiano | zefiro, zeffiro |
| Română | zefir |
| Русский | зефи́р zefír, лёгкий ветеро́к ljóxkij veterók, ветеро́к veterók |
| עברית | צַפְרִיר tsafrír |
noun thing of fine, soft, or light quality, especially fabric
| 日本語 | ゼファー zefā |
|---|---|
| Français | zéphyr |
| Deutsch | Zephir |
| Italiano | zefir, zefiro |
| Română | zefir |
| Русский | зефи́р zefír |
name The west wind personified
| Русский | Зефи́р Zefír |
|---|
Talk about this word "zephyr." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/zephyr. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. zephyr. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/zephyr "zephyr." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/zephyr.Cite this
@misc{zephyr_2026,
title = {zephyr},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/zephyr},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
