zephyr

[ zef-er ]

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.

zephyr

/ ˈzɛfə /

noun

1. a soft or gentle breeze
2. any of several delicate soft yarns, fabrics, or garments, usually of wool

Zephyr

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of zephyr¹

First recorded before 1000 zephyr fordef 2; Middle English, from Latin zephyrus, from Greek zéphyros “the west wind”; replacing Middle English zeferus, zephirus, Old English zefferus, from Latin as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of zephyr¹

C16: from Latin zephyrus, from Greek zephuros the west wind; probably related to Greek zophos darkness, west

Synonym Study

See wind ¹.

Example Sentences

The Zephyr goes all the way to Chicago over two days, but don’t be intimidated.

From Los Angeles Times

Now is the time to hop on board Amtrak’s long-distance California Zephyr and see the amazing snowpack from the comfort of the train’s observation car.

From Los Angeles Times

There were 69 passengers on board the California Zephyr, which runs between Chicago and the San Francisco Bay area, Amtrak said, noting that the passenger cars remained upright.

From Seattle Times

Zephyr said she also finds LaRose’s argument about candidates not getting anonymity “hollow” since the statute exempts name changes due to marriage.

From Seattle Times

To collect the litter, research divers swam transects along the lakebed near Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park and Zephyr Cove, covering 9.3 kilometers.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• air
• blast
• breeze
• cyclone
• gale
• gust