zephyranthes, n.

zephyranthes
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zephyranthes_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 2018

# zephyranthesnoun

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zephyranthes mean?

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

### How common is the noun zephyranthes?

Fewer than 0.01occurrences per million words in modern written English

1860 | 0.0005
1870 | 0.0005
1880 | 0.0005
1890 | 0.0006
1900 | 0.0007
1910 | 0.0008
1920 | 0.0011
1930 | 0.0013
1940 | 0.0014
1950 | 0.0015
1960 | 0.0014
1970 | 0.0014
1980 | 0.0012
1990 | 0.001
2000 | 0.0008
2010 | 0.0006

### How is the noun zephyranthes pronounced?

#### British English

/zɛfəˈranθiːz/
zeff-uh-RAN-theez

#### U.S. English

/ˌzɛfəˈrænˌθiz/
zeff-uh-RAN-theez

### Where does the noun zephyranthes come from?

Earliest known use

1820s

The earliest known use of the noun zephyranthes is in the 1820s.

OED's earliest evidence for zephyranthes is from 1821, in the writing of William Herbert, antiquary and librarian.

zephyranthes is a borrowing from Latin.

Etymons: Latin Zephyranthes.

### Nearby entries

1. zeolitically, adv. 1926–
2. zeolitiform, adj. 1788–
3. zeolitization, n. 1879–
4. zeolitize, v. 1881–
5. zeolitized, adj. 1888–
6. Zephiran, n. 1935–
7. Zéphirine Drouhin, n. 1901–
8. zephyr, n. Old English–
9. zephyr, v. 1829–
10. zephyranth, n. 1845–
11. zephyranthes, n.1821–
12. zephyrean, adj. 1793–
13. zephyret, n. 1777–1881
14. zephyr flower, n.?1829–
15. zephyr-gale, n. 1596–1901
16. zephyrian, adj. 1661–
17. zephyrine, adj. & n. 1819–
18. zephyring, adj. 1821–
19. zephyrless, adj. a1821–
20. zephyr-like, adv. & adj. 1765–
21. zephyr lily, n.?1877–

## Etymology

### Summary

A borrowing from Latin.
Etymon: Latin Zephyranthes.
< scientific Latin Zephyranthes, genus name (W. Herbert 1821: see quot. 1821) < ancient Greek ζέϕυρος zephyr n. + ἄνθος flower (see anthos n.).

Compare later zephyranth n. Compare also zephyr flower n. (b)…
< scientific Latin Zephyranthes, genus name (W. Herbert 1821: see quot. 1821) < ancient Greek ζέϕυρος zephyr n. + ἄνθος flower (see anthos n.).

Compare later zephyranth n. Compare also zephyr flower n. (b).

### Notes

The semantic motivation for the name is uncertain. Most probably the plants were so named on account of the fact that they are natives of America in the western hemisphere (compare Herbert's earlier name for them, Occidental swamp lily (1812), although it has also been suggested that they might be so called because they appear in the spring with the west wind, or because their slender stalks readily sway in the wind.

## Meaning & use

Botany.

1. 1821–
   Any of various bulbous plants of the genus Zephyranthes (family Amaryllidaceae), native to the warmer regions of the Americas and widely cultivated as ornamentals, having pink, yellow, or white solitary flowers on slender stalks; a zephyr lily. Also (in form Zephyranthes): the genus itself. Cf. zephyranth n.
   1. 1821

      > Zephyranthes.—Occidental Swamp-lily.

      W. Herbert in Botanical Register vol. 7 App. 36
   2. 1891

      > With the exception of a single plant—a Zephyranthes, which is apparently different from all the described species—the collection does not appear to include any plants new to science.

      Journal Linnean Society: Botany vol. 27 473
   3. 1938

      > Just think of the effects you can achieve—with chionodoxas.., tulips, watsonias, zephyranthes, to touch merely a few high spots in the alphabetical bulb line-up!

      American Home October 21/3
   4. 2003

      > One needs to make use of the index to research, for example, all the members of Hymenocallis or Zephyranthes.

      Horticulture March 77/3
   plants
   1. maguey 1555–
      Any of several giant, fleshy-leaved agaves of Mexico and the south-western United States; esp. the American aloe, Agave americana. Frequently attrib…
   2. melt 1605–23
      The maguey or American aloe, Agave americana.
   3. pancratium 1664–
      Botany. Any of various bulbous African, Mediterranean, and South Asian plants of the genus Pancratium (family Amaryllidaceae), bearing umbels of…
   4. aloe 1665–
      Frequently with distinguishing word. Any of various other plants supposed to resemble those of the genus Aloe; esp. (more fully American aloe) a…
   5. pita 1698–
      Any of these fibre-yielding plants.
   6. mescal 1709–
      Any of various plants of the genus Agave, of Mexico and the south-western United States; esp. any of several large agaves with paniculate…
   7. maypole 1750–
      Caribbean (chiefly Barbados). Any of various kinds of century plant (genus Agave), which are remarkable for their very long, pole-shaped…
   8. agave 1760–
      Any of numerous plants constituting the genus Agave (family Agavaceae), comprising perennial succulents native chiefly to the southern United…
   9. poison bulb 1776–
      A South African bulbous plant, Boophane disticha (family Amaryllidaceae), the source of an arrow poison.
   10. kukumakranka 1793–
       A small, bulbous, perennial plant of the genus Gethyllis, belonging to the family Amaryllidaceæ, and bearing fragrant white flowers and an…
   11. fire lily 1802–
       a. Any of various lilies with orange or red flowers, esp. Lilium bulbiferum of southern Europe, which has bright orange flowers; b. any of the…
   12. furcraea 1821–
       A tropical American plant of the genus so named, closely related to Agave and belonging to the family Amaryllidaceæ.
   13. zephyranthes 1821–
       Any of various bulbous plants of the genus Zephyranthes (family Amaryllidaceae), native to the warmer regions of the Americas and widely cultivated…
   14. century plant 1827–
       An agave (some of which mature very slowly and take a number of years to come into flower); esp. Agave americana.
   15. zephyr lily?1877–
       Any of various plants of the genus Zephyranthes (family Amaryllidaceae), native to tropical and subtropical America and widely cultivated as…
   16. mescal button 1887–
       The button-like top of the cactus Lophophora williamsii, dried and usually eaten or chewed for its hallucinogenic effects; (also) the cactus itself…
   17. tequila plant 1896–
       An agave or maguey, the sap of which is used to make tequila; spec. the blue agave, Agave tequilana.
   18. drumstick allium 1976–
       A cultivated herbaceous perennial, Allium sphaerocephalon (family Amaryllidaceae), with a straight, tall stem bearing a large head of purple flowers.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/zɛfəˈranθiːz/
zeff-uh-RAN-theez

### U.S. English

/ˌzɛfəˈrænˌθiz/
zeff-uh-RAN-theez

####

##### 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

### Inflections

Plural: unchanged

## Frequency

zephyranthes typically occurs fewer than 0.01 times per million words in modern written English.

zephyranthes is in frequency band 2, which contains words occurring between 0.001 and 0.01 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands

Frequency data is computed programmatically, and should be regarded as an estimate.

### Frequency of zephyranthes, n., 1860–2010

* 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
--- | ---
1860 | 0.0005
1870 | 0.0005
1880 | 0.0005
1890 | 0.0006
1900 | 0.0007
1910 | 0.0008
1920 | 0.0011
1930 | 0.0013
1940 | 0.0014
1950 | 0.0015
1960 | 0.0014
1970 | 0.0014
1980 | 0.0012
1990 | 0.001
2000 | 0.0008
2010 | 0.0006

## Compounds & derived words

Sort by

1. zephyranth, n. 1845–
   Any of various plants of the genus Zephyranthes…

zephyranthes, n. was first published in June 2018.

zephyranthes, n. was last modified in July 2023.