Revised 2021
† zizyphanoun
Factsheet
What does the noun zizypha mean?
There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zizypha. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.
This word is now obsolete. It is last recorded around the late 1700s.
Where does the noun zizypha come from?
Earliest known use
mid 1500s
The earliest known use of the noun zizypha is in the mid 1500s.
OED's earliest evidence for zizypha is from 1546, in a translation by Thomas Langley, Church of England clergyman and translator.
zizypha is a borrowing from Latin.
Etymons: Latin zizypha, zīziphum.
Nearby entries
- zither banjo, n.1888–
- zithering, adj.1889–
- zitherist, n.1866–
- zither-like, adj.1881–
- ziti, n.1845–
- zitty, adj.1971–
- Ziv, n.a1382–
- zizania, n.1526–
- zizany, n.a1400–1803
- zizel, n.1775–
- zizypha, n.1546–1775
- zizyphus, n.?1440–
- zizz, v.1883–
- zizz, int. & n.1824–
- zizzing, n.1884–
- zizzing, adj.1919–
- zizzy, adj.1843–
- Zlid, n.1616–1785
- Z'life, n.1689
- Z line, n.1916–
- Z-list, n. & adj.1979–
Etymology
Summary
A borrowing from Latin.
Etymons: Latin zizypha, zīziphum.
< post-classical Latin zizypha, plural of classical Latin zīziphum jujube tree or its fruit (Pliny) < Hellenistic Greek ζίζυϕον jujube tree (see zizyphus n.).Compare zizyphus n.
Meaning & use
Obsolete.
- 1546–1775The fruit of the zizyphus; = jujube n. 1a. Also: a zizyphus tree or bush (= jujube n. 1b).
- 1546
Zizepha [Latin zizipha] and Tuberes S. Papinius conueyed oute to [read of] Siria and Affrik into Italy.
T. Langley, translation of P. Vergil, Abridgement of Notable Worke iii. ii. f. lxvii - 1555
The tree that beareth the frute cauled Zizipha [Latin ziziferae arbori], which the Apothecaries caule Iuiuba.
R. Eden, translation of Peter Martyr of Angleria, Decades of Newe Worlde ii. i. f. 56 - 1675
Zizipha lenifie a Cough.
G. Thomson, Ορθο-μέθοδος ἰατρο-χυμικὴ: Direct Method curing Chymically xvi. 140 - 1712
Jujuba, or Zizipha, a large Fruit of the Ziziph Tree.
J. Browne, translation of P. Pomet et al. Compleat History of Druggs vol. I. 134 - 1775
Zizipha, called also olea sylvester, elæagnus, oleaster Cappadocicus, wild jujube, or olive of Bohemia.
G. Motherby, New Medical Dictionary at Jujuba
- tamarind1539–The fruit of the tree Tamarindus indica (see 2), a brown pod containing one to twelve seeds embedded in a soft brown or reddish-black acid pulp…
- zizypha1546–1775The fruit of the zizyphus; = jujube, n. 1a. Also: a zizyphus tree or bush (= jujube, n. 1b).
- guava1555–The fruit of the guava-tree.
- tuna1555–= Indian fig, n. 2, prickly pear, n.; esp. opuntia tuna, a tall-growing species found in Central America and the West Indies, and introduced…
- turpentine1562–77The fruit of the terebinth tree. Obsolete.
- mango1582–The fruit of the mango tree (see sense A.I.2), a sweet orange-fleshed drupe which is much eaten as dessert, especially in the tropics, and is…
- mammee1587–A large tree, Mammea americana (family Clusiaceae (Guttiferae)), native to the Caribbean and widely cultivated in tropical America; the large…
- durian1588–The oval or globular fruit of Durio zibethinus, family Sterculiaceæ, a tree of the Indian Archipelago; it has a hard prickly rind and luscious…
- lychee1588–The fruit of an evergreen tree, Litchi chinensis, of the family Sapindaceæ, native to southern China but widely cultivated in tropical countries…
- sapota1589–The tree Achras Sapota and its fruit; = sapodilla, n. 1, 2; (see also quot. 1887). As modern Latin, a genus, the type of the Sapotaceæ, now…
- fritter1591? A species of apple. Obsolete. rare.
- mangosteen1598–The fruit of the mangosteen tree (see sense 2), of the size of a small apple and with a thick dark-purple rind enclosing a sweet, white, juicy pulp.
- custard apple1648–The large, fleshy fruit of any of various trees of the genus Annona (family Annonaceae), having a yellowish to brown reticulated skin, dark…
- longan1655–The fruit of a Southeast Asian evergreen tree, Dimocarpus longan (family Sapindaceae), having a yellowish skin and sweet white flesh. Also: the…
- mammee sapota1657–A Central American tree, Pouteria sapota, of the family Sapotaceae; the oval russet edible fruit of this tree (also called marmalade plum), which…
- mammee apple1683–a. = mammee, n. 1; b. (more fully African mammee apple) a West African tree, Mammea africana, with an edible fruit, related to the mammee; c. wild…
- breadfruit1697–Any of various tropical fruits with edible breadlike pulp; esp. the large fruit of Artocarpus altilis (family Moraceae), having rough green skin and…
- coco-plum1699–The fruit of a West Indian tree Chrysobalanus Icaco; also the tree itself.
- rambutan1707–The fruit of the tree Nephelium lappaceum (family Sapindaceae), oval to oblong in shape, covered with leathery red skin with soft spines, and…
- pawpaw1709–U.S. More fully pawpaw bush, pawpaw tree. A small North American tree, Asimina triloba (family Annonaceae), with dull purple flowers and ovate…
- locust bean1731–The fruit or seed of any of various leguminous trees, esp. the carob, Ceratonia siliqua, or (more fully African locust bean, West African locust bean…
- sapodilla1750–The fruit of this tree.
- cherimoya1758–The pulpy fruit of this tree, highly esteemed on account of its delicious flavour. It is of considerable size, irregularly heart-shaped, with a…
- wild lime1767–Applied with qualification to fruits of trees of other genera. Ogeechee lime n. the sour tupelo, Nyssa capitata, of which a conserve is made. wild…
- Otaheite apple1777–a. The Indo-Malaysian tree Spondias dulcis (family Anacardiaceae); (also) the yellow, plum-like fruit of this tree; b. Caribbean the Malay apple, Syz…
- narra1779–A tall, rapidly-growing tree of Southeast Asia, Pterocarpus indicus (family Fabaceae (Leguminosae)), which bears panicles of fragrant orange or…
- langsat1783–The edible fruit of Lansium domesticum, a tree of the family Meliaceæ, native to Indonesia and Malaysia; also, the tree itself.
- rose apple1790–The edible sweet-scented fruit of any of various trees of the genus Syzygium (see sense 2b); esp. the pear-shaped fruit of S. jambos, which is…
- Otaheite plum1793–= Otaheite apple, n. (b).
- cinnamon apple1796An early variety of apple; (also) a fruit of Suriname.
- sapota plum1797–attributive, as sapota plum, sapota wood.
- bhindi1809–The plant okra, Abelmoschus esculentus. Also: the fruit of this plant, used in cookery as a vegetable and for thickening soups and stews.
- salak1820–A thorny palm tree belonging to the genus Salacca, native to tropical Southeast Asia, esp. S. edulis, or its pear-shaped edible fruit.
- gingerbread plum1824–A small evergreen tree native to western Africa, Neocarya macrophylla (family Chrysobalanaceae); (also) the fruit of this tree, a small edible drupe…
- geebung1827–The fruit of various species of Persoonia, an Australian tree (family Proteaceae).
- loquat1829–The fruit of Eriobotrya japonica, a native of China and Japan, introduced into southern Europe, India, and Australia.
- sapodilla plum1830–= sapodilla, n. 2.
- sage-apple1832–A gall-apple formed on a species of sage, Salvia pomifera, eaten as a fruit in Crete.
- kangaroo-apple1834–The edible fruit of the Australian plants Solanum laciniatum (or aviculare) and Solanum vescum; also, the plants bearing this.
- karaka-fruit1834–The bow-tree of New Zealand; Corynocarpus lævigata (family Anacardiaceæ). Also attributive, as karaka-berry, karaka-fruit, karaka-leaf, karaka-nut…
- quandong1836–A shrub or small tree native to southern Australia, Santalum acuminatum (family Santalaceae), bearing racemes of small greenish-white flowers and…
- mombin1837–The mango-like fruit of any of several hog-plum trees of the genus Spondias (family Anacardiaceae), esp. (more fully yellow mombin) the…
- Chinese gooseberry1838–a. The fruit of the star fruit tree; (also) the tree itself (now rare); b. chiefly New Zealand the kiwi fruit, which is produced by several East…
- terap1839–An evergreen tree, Artocarpus elasticus, of the family Moraceæ, native to Malaysia and closely related to the bread-fruit tree, also, the large…
- zapote1842–= sapota, n.
- tamarind plum1846–A leguminous East Indian tree, Dialium indicum, or its fruit: see quots.
- prairie pea1848–Either of two milk vetches with edible fruits, the buffalo bean, Astragalus crassicarpus, and A. mexicanus; the fruit of either of these plants.
- Barbados-cherry1858–The tart fruit, resembling a cherry, of the Malpighia urens.
- kei-apple1859–The edible fruit of a South African shrub, Aberia Caffra; also, the shrub itself.
- Natal plum1859–In the names of plants and animals found in Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal). The edible red plumlike fruit of Carissa macrocarpa (family Apocynaceae), a…
- bullock's heart1866–The fruit of Anona reticulata.
- guava-apple1866–= guava, n. 2.
- Sierra Leone peach1866–A shrub or small tree, Nauclea latifolia (formerly Sarcocephalus esculentus) of the family Rubiaceæ, native to tropical Africa, or its edible…
- Turkey fig1866–The common fig, Ficus carica; in Australia, the Indian fig or prickly pear, Opuntia.
- finger berry1870–a. North American the fruit of a common North American bramble, Rubus allegheniensis; (also) the plant itself; b. Australian = finger cherry, n.
- marula1877–The fruit of the marula tree, from which beer and other intoxicating liquors are brewed.
- Negro peach1884–= Sierra Leone peach n. at Sierra Leone, n.
- scarlet banana1885–Musa coccinea.
- Suriname cherry1895–a. A South American tree, Malpighia glabra, or its edible aromatic fruit; b. an evergreen shrub or small tree, Eugenia uniflora, native to tropical…
- feijoa1898–An evergreen shrub or small tree of the genus so named, which is native to South America and belongs to the family Myrtaceæ; also, the fruit of…
- pear apple1898–a. A fruit having features of both an apple and a pear; esp. a rough-skinned variety of apple (now historical); b. the fruit of a prickly pear (a…
- finger cherry1902–The elongated red fruit of the small tree Rhodomyrtus macrocarpa (family Myrtaceae), of Queensland and New Guinea; (also) the tree itself; also…
- ume1918–The fruit of this tree (see also compounds).
- pepino1922–The small, elongated melon-like fruit of the tropical shrub Solanum muricatum (family Solanaceae), having a yellow skin with purplish patches and…
- num-num1926–Any of several, spiny, evergreen, southern African shrubs or small trees of the genus Carissa (family Apocynaceae), which have fragrant white…
- acerola1954–The Barbados cherry, Malpighia glabra (family Malpighiaceae); the edible fruit of this tree, rich in vitamin C and used to make syrups, vitamin…
the world plants particular plants cultivated or valued plants particular food plant or plant product particular types of fruit [nouns] stone fruit jujube- jujubec1400–An edible berry-like drupe, the fruit of various species of Zizyphus (family Rhamnaceæ).
- zizypha1546–1775The fruit of the zizyphus; = jujube, n. 1a. Also: a zizyphus tree or bush (= jujube, n. 1b).
- lote?1614–1855The food of the lotus-eaters; = lotus, n. 2. Cf. lotus-eater, n., Lotophagi, n. Obsolete.
- Chinese date1847–The jujube, Ziziphus jujuba (family Rhamnaceae), a shrub or small tree probably originating in southern Asia, which produces brown to purplish…
- ber1860–The Chinese date or jujube (genus Zizyphus). Also attributive, as ber-fruit, ber-tree.
- japonica1874–The fruit of the Asian plant Zizyphus jujuba (Z. sinensis); cf. jujube, n.
- jujube-plum1884–= jujube, n. 1.
the world plants particular plants cultivated or valued plants particular food plant or plant product particular fruit-tree or -plant [nouns] trees or plants bearing stone fruit jujube tree- zizypha1546–1775The fruit of the zizyphus; = jujube, n. 1a. Also: a zizyphus tree or bush (= jujube, n. 1b).
- jujube-tree1548–= jujube, n. 1b.
- jujube1562–Any of the species of Zizyphus which produce this fruit, as Z. vulgaris of the Mediterranean countries, Z. Jujuba of China, Z. Lotus of North Africa.
- lote-tree1581–A jujube tree of the southern Mediterranean, Zizyphus lotus, having edible, date-like fruits. Cf. lote, n.¹ 4b, lotus, n. 7.
- lotus tree1601–Any of the various trees and shrubs called ‘lotus’; esp. (a) the shrubby tree producing the fruit of Greek mythology, and the jujube tree Ziziphus…
- lote1658–The jujube tree Ziziphus lotus (= lotus, n. 7); (also) the fruit of this tree. Cf. lote-tree, n. 2. rare.
- mangosteen1750–Caribbean (Barbados). A kind of jujube tree, Ziziphus mauritiana. Now rare. Perhaps Obsolete.
- lotus1809–The jujube tree Ziziphus lotus, of the southern Mediterranean region, which has edible, date-like fruits. Cf. lote-tree, n. 2, and lotus tree, n.…
- lotebush1846–a. The jujube tree Ziziphus lotus (rare); b. U.S. any of various other shrubs or trees of the genus Ziziphus or closely related genera; esp. Z. obtusi…
- Chinese date1847–The jujube, Ziziphus jujuba (family Rhamnaceae), a shrub or small tree probably originating in southern Asia, which produces brown to purplish…
- wongai tree1947–A name used in the islands off the north coast of Australia for the jujube, Zizyphus jujuba. Also wongai tree.
Forms
Variant forms
- 1500szizepha
- 1500s–1700szizipha
- 1600s–1700szizypha