Zeuxis, n.

zeuxis
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zeuxis_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2018

# Zeuxisnoun

## Earlier version

- Zeuxis in OED Second Edition (1989)

## Factsheet

### What does the noun Zeuxis mean?

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

### How is the noun Zeuxis pronounced?

#### British English

/ˈz(j)uːksɪs/
ZYOOK-siss

#### U.S. English

/ˈzuksəs/
ZOOK-suhss

### Where does the noun Zeuxis come from?

Earliest known use

late 1500s

The earliest known use of the noun Zeuxis is in the late 1500s.

OED's earliest evidence for Zeuxis is from 1577, in a translation by Timothy Kendall, translator and poet, et al.

From a proper name.

Etymons: proper name Zeuxis.

### Nearby entries

1. zeugmatical, adj. 1610–
2. zeugmatically, adv. 1616–
3. zeugmatogram, n. 1973–
4. zeugmatographic, adj. 1973–
5. zeugmatography, n. 1973–
6. zeunerite, n. 1873–
7. Zeus, n.¹ 1587–
8. Zeus, n.² 1601–
9. Zeus-like, adj. & adv. 1850–
10. Zeuxian, adj. 1635–
11. Zeuxis, n.1577–
12. Zeuxis-like, adj. 1665–
13. zeuxite, n. 1836–
14. zeze, n. 1860–
15. Zhdanovism, n. 1958–
16. Zhdanovist, adj. 1966–
17. Zhdanovite, adj. 1957–
18. zho, n. 1841–
19. zhomo, n. 1841–
20. zhuyin zimu, n. 1938–
21. zhuzh, n. 1968–

## Etymology

### Summary

From a proper name.
Etymon: proper name Zeuxis.
< the name of Zeuxis (classical Latin Zeuxis, ancient Greek Ζεῦξις), an ancient Greek painter (5th cent. b.c.).

## Meaning & use

1. 1577–
   An artist likened in some way to the Greek painter Zeuxis; used esp. with reference to his skill in producing extremely lifelike pictures, or his method of selecting attributes from different models and combining them to produce a composite idealized figure.
   1. 1577

      > A Painter once (that was a Zeuxis for his skill) Had children foule, deformed, blacke and of complexion ill.

      T. Kendall, translation of Politianus et al. Flowers of Epigrammes f. 56
   2. ?1614

      > Desire (alas) Desire a Zeuxis new, From th' Orient borrowing Gold, from Westerne Skies Heauenly Cinabre, sets before my Eyes In euery place, her Haire, sweet looke, and Hue.

      W. Drummond, Sonnet: In vaine I haunt in Poems
   3. 1734

      > Not the richest Skill of a Zeuxis or Apelles beautifying the Walls of this Fabrick, could ever supply the Absence of the Sun, or compensate the Loss of Light and Heat.

      I. Watts, Reliquiæ Juveniles xii. 47
   4. 1888

      > In such a land you might well imagine that a Greek..needed only paint and brush to be a Zeuxis or a Parrhasius.

      Annual Rep. Trustees Metrop. Museum Art No. 19 421
   5. 1999

      > The painting he creates is not one that would please a Zeuxis or a Protagoras.

      A. Carson, Econ. of Unlost ii. 62
   painting
   1. Zeuxis 1577–
      An artist likened in some way to the Greek painter Zeuxis; used esp. with reference to his skill in producing extremely lifelike pictures, or his…
   View in Historical Thesaurus
   1. Zeuxis 1577–
      An artist likened in some way to the Greek painter Zeuxis; used esp. with reference to his skill in producing extremely lifelike pictures, or his…
   2. Apelles?1614–
      Used connotatively for a master artist.
   3. old master 1696–
      spec. A pre-eminent artist of the period before the modern; esp. a pre-eminent western European painter of the 13th to 18th centuries.
   4. RA 1785–
      Royal Academy; Royal Academician (hence RA-ship).
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˈz(j)uːksɪs/
ZYOOK-siss

### U.S. English

/ˈzuksəs/
ZOOK-suhss

####

##### 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

## Compounds & derived words

Sort by

1. Zeuxis-like, adj. 1665–
   Resembling or characteristic of Zeuxis or his art…

Zeuxis, n. was revised in June 2018.

Zeuxis, n. was last modified in September 2024.