zoril, n.

zoril
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zoril_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 1921; not fully revised

# zorilnoun

## Earlier version

- zoril in OED Second Edition (1989)

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zoril mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zoril. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

#### Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

### How is the noun zoril pronounced?

#### British English

/ˈzɒrɪl/
ZORR-il

#### U.S. English

/ˈzɔrəl/
ZOR-uhl

### Where does the noun zoril come from?

Earliest known use

late 1700s

The earliest known use of the noun zoril is in the late 1700s.

OED's earliest evidence for zoril is from 1774, in the writing of Oliver Goldsmith, author.

zoril is a borrowing from French.

Etymons: French zorille.

### Nearby entries

1. zophorus | zoophorus, n. 1563–
2. zopilote, n. 1787–
3. zopissa, n. 1601–
4. zoppa, adj. 1740–
5. Zoque, n. 1891–
6. Zoque–Mixe, adj. & n. 1893–
7. Zorb, n. 1996–
8. zorbing, n. 1996–
9. zorgite, n. 1852–
10. zori, n.?1823–
11. zoril, n.1774–
12. Zoroastrian, adj. & n. 1597–
13. Zoroastrianism, n. 1832–
14. Zoroastrianize, v. 1891–
15. Zoroastric, adj. a1739–
16. Zoroastrism, n. 1819–
17. zorrino, n. 1885–
18. zorro, n. 1838–
19. zos-grass, n. 1937–
20. zoster, n. 1601–
21. zostera, n. 1819–

## Etymology

### Summary

A borrowing from French.
Etymon: French zorille.
< French zorille, < Spanish zorrilla, ‑illo, diminutive of zorra, zorro n.

## Meaning & use

1. 1774–
   An animal of the African genus Zorilla, allied to the skunks; also applied to some Central or South American skunks, as the conepatl.
   1. 1774

      > The Zorille resembles the skink, but is rather smaller.

      O. Goldsmith, History of Earth vol. III. 381
   2. 1839

      > We saw also a couple of Zorillos, or skunks.

      C. Darwin in R. Fitzroy & C. Darwin, Narrative of Surveying Voyages H.M.S. Adventure & Beagle vol. III. iv. 93
   3. 1878

      > The Cape Zorilla.

      Cassell's Natural History vol. II. 196
   4. 1883

      > Zoril, a variety of the American skunk.

      P. L. Simmonds, Commercial Dictionary of Trade Products (revised edition) Supplement
   animals
   1. conepatl 1774–
      An American skunk (genus Conepātus, J. E. Gray, 1837).
   2. zoril 1774–
      An animal of the African genus Zorilla, allied to the skunks; also applied to some Central or South American skunks, as the conepatl.
   View in Historical Thesaurus
   1. zoril 1774–
      An animal of the African genus Zorilla, allied to the skunks; also applied to some Central or South American skunks, as the conepatl.
   2. muishond 1796–
      a. A mongoose, a meerkat. b. Either of two African mustelids: c. the zorilla or striped polecat, Ictonyx striatus (more fully striped muishond); d…
   3. mouse-hunt 1850–56
      South African. A meerkat, a mongoose, a weasel; = muishond, n. Obsolete.
   4. stink-cat 1899–
      The zoril or mariput, Zorilla striata.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˈzɒrɪl/
ZORR-il

### U.S. English

/ˈzɔrəl/
ZOR-uhl

####

##### 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 /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### 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 /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

##### 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

Also zorilla, zorille, zorillo.

zoril, n. was first published in 1921; not fully revised.

zoril, n. was last modified in July 2023.