zif, ziph, ziv

[Heb. ziv, from zachach=to shine, to be beautiful, referring to the splendid appearance of the flowers during the month ( Gese nius ); or from A yrian Giv =the Bull, the constellation Taurus. ( Rawlinson: Herod. 1. 622.)] Hebrew Calendar : The second month of the year. extending from the new moon in May to that in June; or, according to some Rabbis, from the new moon in April to that of June, (1 Kings vi. i. 37.) In some copies of the A. V. the spelling is Zif, in others Ziph; in the R. V. Ziv, which is the correct form. *zif'-fi-ŭs, subst. [Etym. doubtful; perhaps for xiphias the sword-fish.] Some sea monster. "Huge ziffius whom mariners eschew." Spenser: F. Q. , II. xii. 24. zig-ăn-ką, s. [Ru .] Music: A dance popular among the Ru ian peasantry, similar in its figures to the common country dance. zig-a-ri, s. pl. [ZINGARI.] zig-zag, a. & s. [Fr., from Ger. zichzach =a zigzag; zichzach, segeln=to tack in sailing; Sw. sich sach =zigzag.] A. As adjective : 1. Ord. Lang.: Having sharp or quick turns or flexures. "More zigzag paths tempt us right and left."-Queen, Sept. 26, 1885. 2. Bot.: [FLEXUOUS, 2.] B. As substantive: I. Ord. Lang.: Something having short, sharp turns or angles, as a line. "But that ascent was made by only six zigzags ."Scribner's Magazine , August, 1877, p. 462. II. Technically : 1. Architecture : A zigzag molding; a chevron or dancette. [See illustration under CHEVRON.] 2. Fort .: One of the trenches leading toward the besieged works, and communicating between the several parallels. It turns to the right and to the left, but with a general curved course, in such a manner as not to be enfiladed by the guns of the fort. 3. A salmon-stair, fish-way, or fish-ladder. zigzag-molding, s. [CHEVRON, DANCETTE.] zig-zăg, v . t . & i . [ZIGZAG, a.] A. Trans.: To form with short, sharp turns or angles. "The middle aile has on each side four Norman round arches zigzagged."-Warton: History of Kidding ton , p. 4. B. Intransitive : 1. To move or advance in a zigzag fashion; to make zigzags. "He zigzagged back and forth from tuft to tuft."Scribner's Magazine, July, 1877, p. 284. 2. To waver in or change one's words or opinions. "Speak in ambiguous and hesitating tones, zigzagging this way and that way, and beating about the bush."London Daily Telegraph. *zig-zăg-ger-ý, s. [Eng.zigzag; -ery.] Zigzag or irregular course. "When my Uncle Toby discovered the transverse zig zaggery of my father's approach to it."-Sterne: Tristram Shandy, ii. 113. tzig-zăg-gy, adj. [Eng. zigzag; -y.] Having sharp turns; zigzag. "The zigzaggy pattern by Saxons invented Was cleverly chiseled and well represented." Barham: Ing. Leg.; St. Romwold . zil-la, subst. [The Egyptian name of Zilla mya groides. Bot .: The typical genus of Zillide (q. v.). Zilla myagroides is a large glabrous herb, with round white branches, and oblong-toothed leaves, which are boiled and eaten by the Arabs like cabbage. ( Loudon .) zil-lạh, 8. [(Hind.) In Hindu stan, a local division of a county; a shire or county. zill-er-thite, subst. [After Zillerth(al), Tyrol, where found; suff. -ite ( Min.).] Min .: A name given to a bright-green variety of Actinolite (q. v.).