zeehttp://www.oed.com/dictionary/zee_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_usezee, n.
Revised 2018

zeenoun

Chiefly U.S. after 17th cent.
  1. 1580–
    (A name for) the letter Z, z, the last letter of the alphabet in English and other modern languages (see Z n.).
    In most English-speaking areas outside the United States the usual word is zed; cf. zed n.
    1. 1580
      The names of the letters next before shewed, appeere in this Table following... zee z.
      W. Bullokar, Bk. at Large 21
    2. 1654
      Z Zee The noise of hot iron in water.
      R. Lloyd, Schoole-masters Auxiliaries 5
    3. 1677
      Zz zee Z-eal, thou shalt be my charret, whilst I ride, Elijah-like, with Word and Spirit, my Guide.
      T. Lye, New Spelling Bk. ii. 5
    4. 1797
      Younker, yield to yawning, yea—Zounds, I'm safe at zigzag zee.
      Farmer's Weekly Museum 28 March 4/1
    5. 1828
      Z... It is pronounced zee.
      N. Webster, American Dictionary of English Language
    6. 1882
      The name..given to the last letter of the alphabet..in New England is always zee; in the South it is zed.
      E. A. Freeman in Longman's Magazine November 94
    7. 1953
      Last summer a song that had great popularity went right through a 'lover's alphabet' and, obviously originating in America, it gave the name ‘zee’ to the last letter.
      Manchester Guardian 20 February 3/5
    8. 2013
      I know how you people spell things! What is this aversion you Brits have to the letter Zee?
      I. Hunter, Conversations iv. 53

zee, n. was revised in June 2018.

zee, n. was last modified in July 2023.