zorrinonoun
Factsheet
What does the noun zorrino mean?
There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zorrino. 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 common is the noun zorrino?
| 1900 | 0.0004 |
| 1910 | 0.0004 |
| 1920 | 0.0004 |
| 1930 | 0.0004 |
| 1940 | 0.0004 |
| 1950 | 0.0004 |
| 1960 | 0.0003 |
| 1970 | 0.0002 |
| 1980 | 0.0002 |
| 1990 | 0.0002 |
| 2000 | 0.0002 |
| 2010 | 0.0002 |
Where does the noun zorrino come from?
Earliest known use
1880s
The earliest known use of the noun zorrino is in the 1880s.
OED's earliest evidence for zorrino is from 1885, in Encyclopædia Britannica.
Nearby entries
- Zorb, n.1996–
- zorbing, n.1996–
- zorgite, n.1852–
- zori, n.?1823–
- zoril, n.1774–
- Zoroastrian, adj. & n.1597–
- Zoroastrianism, n.1832–
- Zoroastrianize, v.1891–
- Zoroastric, adj.a1739–
- Zoroastrism, n.1819–
- zorrino, n.1885–
- zorro, n.1838–
- zos-grass, n.1937–
- zoster, n.1601–
- zostera, n.1819–
- zosterops, n.1867–
- Zouave, n.1848–
- zouk, n.1986–
- zounds, v.1680
- zounds, int.a1593–
- Zou-Zou, n.1860–
Etymology
Meaning & use
- 1885–A kind of skunk (cf. zoril n.), or its fur.Stressed as zoˈrrino.
- 1885
The zorro or Canis Azaræ (a kind of fox), the zorrino or Mephitis patagonica (a kind of skunk), and the tuco-tuco or Ctenomys magellanicus.
Encyclopædia Britannica vol. XVIII. 353/1 - 1899
Furs in great variety (chinchilla, vicuna, guanaco, zorrino, lynx, leopard, alpaca, &c.).
Westminster Gazette 17 June 7/1
the world animals mammals group Unguiculata or clawed mammal family Mustelidae (weasel, marten, otter, or badger) [nouns] genus Mephitis (skunk)- polecat1605–Also with unmarked plural. Any of various other mustelids of the genus Mustela or other genera; esp. (North American) a skunk. Frequently with…
- skunk1634–A weasel-like mammal of North America, Mephitis mephitis, having black and white striped fur and a bushy tail, and able to spray a foul-smelling…
- huffer1729A quadruped: ? a kind of skunk. Obsolete.
- skunk weasel1771–1832(Thomas Pennant's name for) the striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis; cf. skunk, n. 1.
- mouffette1774–1833A skunk.
- chinche1780–1901A skunk.
- stinking polecat1791–One of the skunks or Mustelidæ.
- mephitic weasel1827The skunk, Mephitis mephitis.
- essence-peddler1838–a. A pedlar of medicines; b. transferred a skunk.
- zorrino1885–A kind of skunk (cf. zoril, n.), or its fur.
- skunklet1888–A young skunk.
- wood-pussy1899–A skunk.
Frequency
zorrino typically occurs fewer than 0.01 times per million words in modern written English.
zorrino is in frequency band 1, which contains words occurring fewer than 0.001 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands
Frequency of zorrino, n., 1900–2010
* 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 |
|---|---|
| 1900 | 0.0004 |
| 1910 | 0.0004 |
| 1920 | 0.0004 |
| 1930 | 0.0004 |
| 1940 | 0.0004 |
| 1950 | 0.0004 |
| 1960 | 0.0003 |
| 1970 | 0.0002 |
| 1980 | 0.0002 |
| 1990 | 0.0002 |
| 2000 | 0.0002 |
| 2010 | 0.0002 |