zoonitenoun
Factsheet
What does the noun zoonite mean?
There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zoonite. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.
How common is the noun zoonite?
| 1840 | 0.0043 |
| 1850 | 0.0039 |
| 1860 | 0.0034 |
| 1870 | 0.003 |
| 1880 | 0.003 |
| 1890 | 0.003 |
| 1900 | 0.0007 |
| 1910 | 0.0005 |
| 1920 | 0.0002 |
| 1930 | 0.0001 |
| 1940 | 0.00007 |
| 1950 | 0.00001 |
| 1960 | 0.00001 |
| 1970 | 0.00004 |
| 1980 | 0.00006 |
| 1990 | 0.00008 |
| 2000 | 0.00009 |
| 2010 | 0.0001 |
How is the noun zoonite pronounced?
British English
U.S. English
Where does the noun zoonite come from?
Earliest known use
1830s
The earliest known use of the noun zoonite is in the 1830s.
OED's earliest evidence for zoonite is from 1838, in the writing of S. Jackson.
zoonite is a borrowing from French.
Etymons: French zoonite.
Nearby entries
- zoomythic, adj.1889–
- zoon, n.1851–1905
- zoon, v.1880–
- zoon, int.1863–
- -zoon, comb. form
- zoonate, n.1798–1857
- zoonerythrin, n.1882–
- zoonic, adj.1798–1853
- zooning, n.1885–
- Zoonist, adj.1890–97
- zoonite, n.1838–
- zoonitic, adj.1860–91
- zoonomic, adj.1836–
- zoonomical, adj.1800–
- zoonomist, n.1800–99
- zoonomy, n.1800–
- zoonosis, n.1873–
- zoonosologist, n.1860–
- zoonosology, n.1845–
- zoonotic, adj.1877–
- zoon politikon, n.1895–
Etymology
Summary
Meaning & use
- 1838–A body segment of an articulated or segmented animal, esp. such a segment regarded as a distinct organism; a metamere or somite. Cf. zonite n. 2. Now historical and rare.
- 1838
Each organ is a distinct, subordinate organization; a species of zoonite or inferior animal.
S. Jackson, On Methods acquiring Knowledge 30 - 1861
The Worm..is composed of segments or articulations..in each of which the same organs are regularly repeated... It may be termed a distinct series of animals... These special organisms have received the name of Zoonites (1826).
R. T. Hulme, translation of C. H. Moquin-Tandon, Elements of Medical Zoology ii.ii. 59 - 1881
Among the more important points are the total absence at all stages of the fifth thoracic zoonite and its appendages.
Proceedings of Royal Society vol. 32 47 - 1910
Behind the head are three segments, or zoonites, each bearing a pair of legs.
N. Banks in Rat & its Relation Public Health U.S. Public Health Bull. No. 30 71 - 1963
Zealous theorists..,[viewed] the annelid..as a sort of colony of segments (primary individuals, zoönites) united into a superorganism having its own..individuality.
G. O. Mackie in E. C. Dougherty et al., Lower Metazoa xxiv. 329 - 1987
In some invertebrates, he suggested, zoonites could live independently, while in others they lost their liberty through modification and more intimate association with other zoonites.
T. A. Appel, Cuvier-Geoffroy Deb. 162
- zoonite1838–A body segment of an articulated or segmented animal, esp. such a segment regarded as a distinct organism; a metamere or somite. Cf. zonite, n.…
- zooid1851–An organism or (esp. in early use) motile cell thought to resemble an animal but not to be one in a strict or full sense; esp. an invertebrate…
- zoon1851–1905A distinct organism (whether a single entity, as in vertebrates, or a colonial form consisting of zooids) regarded as being the whole product of a…
- zoid1856–= zooid, n.
- insecta1658–76Having the body divided into segments; chiefly in insect animals = Latin animālia insecta: see insecta, n.
- zoonite1838–A body segment of an articulated or segmented animal, esp. such a segment regarded as a distinct organism; a metamere or somite. Cf. zonite, n.…
- segmental1854–Of, pertaining to, or composed of segments or divisions. In various applications (Anatomy, Biology, Acoustics, etc.). segmental apparatus, the…
- segmented1854–Anatomy, Zoology, etc. Consisting of segments or similar parts arranged in a longitudinal series.
- zoonitic1860–91Of or relating to a zoonite or zoonites.
- segmentate1875–Formed of segments, segmented.
- metamerized1878–Divided into metameric segments.
- somatomic1882–
- somitic1888–Of or pertaining to, having the form or character of, a somite.
- somital1890–Of or pertaining to a somite; somitic.
- articulation1765–1893Botany and Zoology. Each of the segments of a jointed structure; the part contained between two joints in a limb, the stem of a plant, etc. Cf. arti…
- segment1826–Biology and Embryology. Each of the longitudinal divisions composing the body in some animals, esp. in the Articulata; a somite, metamere.
- zoonite1838–A body segment of an articulated or segmented animal, esp. such a segment regarded as a distinct organism; a metamere or somite. Cf. zonite, n.…
- somatome1856–A section or segment of the body.
- actinomere1861A radial segment; a portion of the surface of a radially symmetrical animal (in quot., an ovate ctenophore) delineated by lines reaching from pole…
- somite1869–One or other of the more or less distinct segments into which the bodies of many animals are divided.
- metamere1876–Zoology. Each of the similar segments of the body of an animal that exhibits metamerism; a somite.
- metamer1884–Zoology. = metamere, n. 1. Now rare.
the world life biology balance of nature organisms in interrelationship [nouns] aggregate or colony individual of- individual1746–Zoology. Each of the distinct beings which make up a colonial organism, and which typically have different forms and functions. Cf. person, n. III.9.
- zoonite1838–A body segment of an articulated or segmented animal, esp. such a segment regarded as a distinct organism; a metamere or somite. Cf. zonite, n.…
- zooid1851–An organism or (esp. in early use) motile cell thought to resemble an animal but not to be one in a strict or full sense; esp. an invertebrate…
- zoon1851–1905A distinct organism (whether a single entity, as in vertebrates, or a colonial form consisting of zooids) regarded as being the whole product of a…
- zoid1856–= zooid, n.
- allozooid1857–61A detached vegetative bud or zooid which is different in form from its parent animal.
- person1876–Zoology. Each of the individual zooids of a colonial organism. Now rare.
Pronunciation
British English
U.S. English
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.
Consonants
b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values
- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige
Vowels
- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot
Forms
Variant forms
- 1800szoönite
- 1800s–zoonite
Frequency
zoonite typically occurs fewer than 0.01 times per million words in modern written English.
zoonite is in frequency band 1, which contains words occurring fewer than 0.001 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands
Frequency of zoonite, n., 1840–2010
* Occurrences per million words in written English
Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.
The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.
For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.
Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.
| Decade | Frequency per million words |
|---|---|
| 1840 | 0.0043 |
| 1850 | 0.0039 |
| 1860 | 0.0034 |
| 1870 | 0.003 |
| 1880 | 0.003 |
| 1890 | 0.003 |
| 1900 | 0.0007 |
| 1910 | 0.0005 |
| 1920 | 0.0002 |
| 1930 | 0.0001 |
| 1940 | 0.00007 |
| 1950 | 0.00001 |
| 1960 | 0.00001 |
| 1970 | 0.00004 |
| 1980 | 0.00006 |
| 1990 | 0.00008 |
| 2000 | 0.00009 |
| 2010 | 0.0001 |
Compounds & derived words
- zoonitic, adj. 1860–91Of or relating to a zoonite or zoonites.