Zou-Zou, n.

zou-zou
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zou-zou_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 1986; not fully revised

# Zou-Zounoun

## Earlier version

- Zou-Zou in OED Second Edition (1989)

## Factsheet

### What does the noun Zou-Zou mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun Zou-Zou. 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 Zou-Zou pronounced?

#### British English

/ˈzuːzuː/

### Where does the noun Zou-Zou come from?

Earliest known use

1860s

The earliest known use of the noun Zou-Zou is in the 1860s.

OED's earliest evidence for Zou-Zou is from 1860, in Leisure Hour.

Zou-Zou is a borrowing from French.

### Nearby entries

1. zorrino, n. 1885–
2. zorro, n. 1838–
3. zos-grass, n. 1937–
4. zoster, n. 1601–
5. zostera, n. 1819–
6. zosterops, n. 1867–
7. Zouave, n. 1848–
8. zouk, n. 1986–
9. zounds, v. 1680
10. zounds, int. a1593–
11. Zou-Zou, n.1860–
12. zowie, int. 1902–
13. zoysia, n. 1965–
14. ZPG, n. 1970–
15. Zr, n. 1814–
16. zubr, n. 1763–
17. zubrowka, n. 1916–
18. zucarine, adj. a1425
19. zucca, n. 1818–
20. zucchetto, n. 1853–
21. zucchini, n. 1916–

## Etymology

### Summary

A borrowing from French.
< French, diminutive of Zouave Zouave n.

## Meaning & use

colloquial (now historical).

1. 1860–
   = Zouave n. 1.
   1. 1860

      > The gamins of Paris, we believe, first applied to the world-renowned Zouaves the pet name of Zous-Zous; and France has confirmed the pleasant diminutive.

      Leisure Hour 15 March 190/2
   2. 1863

      > A zou-zou..found himself arrested by the guard.

      Harper's Magazine March 569/2
   3. 1866

      > He soon after moved off, followed by the Zou-zous.

      L. P. Brockett, Camp, Battlefield, & Hosp. iii. 458
   4. 1894

      > In the formal dusty gardens were the same pioupious and zouzous still walking with the same nounous.

      G. Du Maurier, Trilby vol. II. vi. 208
   5. 1944

      > Tom thought it was the boy who sang the Zu-Zu song at the creek.

      J. S. Pennell, History of Rome Hanks 70
   military colloquial and slang historical
   1. spahi 1562–
      A horseman forming one of a body of cavalry which formerly constituted an important part of the Turkish army and was to some extent organized on a…
   2. legionnaire 1595–
      A member of a legion; esp. (frequently with capital initial) a member of a named legion, as the American Legion, the Royal British Legion, or the…
   3. strelitz 1603–
      A soldier belonging to a body of Russian troops composed of infantry raised by the Tsar Ivan the Terrible (1533–84) and abolished by Peter the…
   4. Croat 1623–
      A member of any of various light cavalry regiments composed (originally or primarily) of Croats. Now historical.
   5. deli 1667–
      A member of a former light cavalry unit within the Turkish infantry that served as the vizier's personal retinue and acted as a shock troop.
   6. Croatian 1700
      A native or inhabitant of Croatia, a country in south-eastern Europe on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea; (in some historical contexts) a member…
   7. lancer 1712
      A (cavalry) soldier armed with a lance; now only, a soldier belonging to one of certain regiments officially called Lancers.
   8. highlander 1725–
      Chiefly with capital initial. Military. A member of a Highland regiment or other military unit originally composed of Highlanders (sense 1a) or…
   9. lambs 1744–
      plural. The name given to the proverbially cruel and rapacious soldiers of Col. Kirke's regiment in 1684–6, in ironical allusion to the device of…
   10. royals 1762–
       In plural. The members of the former Royal Scots Regiment of the British army.
   11. light-bob 1778–
       (A nickname for) a soldier in a light infantry company. Also in plural with the and capital initial: (a nickname for) a particular regiment of the…
   12. fly-slicer 1785–
       (See quot.).
   13. Life Guardsman 1785–
       A soldier belonging to the Life Guards.
   14. royals?1795–
       In plural. The members of the former Royal Dragoons (1st Dragoons) regiment of the British army. Now historical except in Blues and Royals n. at blue…
   15. Hottentot 1796–
       South African. A member of the Hottentot Corps (later the Cape Corps), a military corps of Khoekhoe soldiers; spec. = pandour, n. 2. Now historical.
   16. yeoman 1798–
       spec. A member of the (Imperial) Yeomanry: see yeomanry, n. I.3.
   17. pandour 1800–
       South African. A member of a chiefly Khoekhoe regiment established in 1793 by the Dutch East India Company for the defence of the Cape of Good…
   18. Faugh-a-Ballaghs c1811–
       In plural, the nickname of the Royal Irish Fusiliers (formerly the 87th Foot). Also elliptical, as Faughs n.
   19. forty-two man 1816–
       attributive in forty-two man n., a man of the 42nd regiment.
   20. kilty 1842–
       One who wears a kilt; esp. a nickname for a Highland soldier. Also, attributive and as adj.
   21. Zouave 1848–
       One of a body of light infantry in the French army, originally recruited from the Algerian Kabyle tribe of Zouaoua, but afterwards composed of French…
   22. bumbler c1850
       English regional (north-eastern) disparaging. A member of the Newcastle Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry (see yeomanry, n. I.3). Obsolete.
   23. Inniskilliner 1853–
       A member of the Inniskilling regiment.
   24. turco 1853–
       An Algerian soldier serving in the French army. Cf. Zouave, n. 1a.
   25. blue cap 1857–
       Military slang (now historical). Originally: a soldier belonging to the Royal Madras Fusiliers; (later) a soldier belonging to the Royal Dublin…
   26. Zou-Zou 1860–
       = Zouave, n. 1.
   27. Cape boy 1878–
       A man or boy of mixed ethnic descent (cf. coloured, adj. A.I.3d) born or living in the Western Cape of South Africa; spec. a member of a force of… Now offensive except in the specific historical military senses (see also sense 2); cf. boy, n.¹ A.1c.
   28. mudlark 1878–
       colloquial. Chiefly in plural. (A nickname for) a soldier of the Royal Engineers.
   29. king's man 1883–
       British Army. Now usually as one word. Originally: a member of the King's Regiment (now historical). In later use usually spec.: (a title for) a…
   30. Johnny 1888–
       In specific uses. Sometimes as an abbreviation of the fuller names treated at compounds C.1. British slang (originally and chiefly Military). (A…
   31. Piffer 1892–
       A member of the Punjab Irregular Frontier Force, a military unit raised in 1849 chiefly for the purpose of controlling the North-West Frontier of…
   32. Johnny Gurkha 1894–
       (A generic name for) a Gurkha; Gurkhas collectively.
   33. evzone 1897–
       A member of a select infantry regiment in the Greek army, originally recruited from the Greek highlands and conspicuous for their uniform which…
   34. horse gunner 1897–
       A member of the Royal Horse Artillery.
   35. fair dink 1905–
       Used (as a question) to express surprise or doubt, and solicit confirmation. Also used conversationally to emphasize the truthfulness or sincerity…
   36. army ranger 1910–
       (Originally) a member of the army engaged in protective or non-combat duties in a particular area (cf. ranger, n.¹ 5a); (now) spec. a member of…
   37. grognard 1912–
       A soldier of Napoleon's Old Guard. Also transferred, a veteran soldier.
   38. Jock 1914–
       slang. (A nickname for) a Scottish person, esp. a Scottish man. Frequently spec.: a Scottish soldier; a member of a Scottish regiment. Occasionally…
   39. chocolate soldier 1915–
       Australian (originally disparaging). In the First World War (1914–18): a soldier in the 8th Infantry Brigade of the Australian Imperial Force…
   40. Cook's tourist 1915–
       Military slang (usually disparaging or derogatory). A member of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps expeditionary force in the First World War…
   41. dinks 1916–
       In plural with the. In the First World War (1914–18): the New Zealand Rifle Brigade.
   42. dinkum 1916–
       An Australian or New Zealand soldier in the First World War (1914–18); an Anzac; spec. (frequently in plural, with the) a member of either the…
   43. Anzac a1918–
       A member of any later combined Australian and New Zealand force, esp. one of those active in the First World War (1914–18) or Second World War…
   44. choc 1917–
       Australian (originally disparaging). In the First World War (1914–18): a soldier in the 8th Infantry Brigade of the Australian Imperial Force…
   45. ranger 1942–
       Chiefly U.S. With capital initial. A member of an elite American military unit specially trained for close combat and raiding; = commando, n. 3a.
   46. Chindit 1943–
       A member of an Allied force fighting behind Japanese lines in Burma (Myanmar) during the Second World War (1939–45).
   47. Desert Rat 1944–
       A soldier of the 7th (British) armoured division, whose divisional sign was the figure of a jerboa, and which took part in the desert campaign in…
   48. Green Beret 1949–
       A member of one of the special operations forces having a green beret as part of their uniform, esp. those in the British Army (the Commandos)…
   49. blue beret 1958–
       (Chiefly in plural) a member of a United Nations peacekeeping force, having a blue beret as part of their uniform; cf. blue helmet, n.
   50. Black Beret 1966–
       Chiefly in plural a. a member of any of various elite military units having a black beret as part of their uniform; b. a member of any of various…
   View in Historical Thesaurus
   1. Jersey blue 1758–
      a. A colonial New Jersey soldier (so called from his blue uniform); b. a native or inhabitant of New Jersey; c. a breed of chicken.
   2. shirtman 1775–
      A colonial rifleman during the American War of Independence.
   3. Yorker 1776–
      An inhabitant or a soldier of New York.
   4. buckskin 1783–1835
      A nickname of the American troops during the Revolutionary war; (hence) a person born in America. Also attributive.
   5. Indian fighter 1824–
      A person, esp. a soldier, noted for fighting North American Indigenous people.
   6. blue belly 1827–
      Originally and chiefly U.S. regional (southern). Usually derogatory. A blue-bellied person (blue-bellied, adj. 1), one regarded as low, contemptible, or cowardly; spec. (a) a northerner; (b) a northern soldier…
   7. greyback 1854–
      A member of a military or police force whose uniform includes, or consists of, a grey coat; spec. (U.S. colloquial) a soldier of the Confederate army…
   8. Zouave 1860–
      A soldier of any of several volunteer regiments, assuming the name and in part the uniform of the French Zouaves, which served on the side of the…
   9. Zou-Zou 1860–
      = Zouave, n. 1.
   10. greycoat 1861–
       A member of a military or police force whose uniform includes, or consists of, a grey coat; spec. (U.S.) a soldier of the Confederate army in the…
   11. grey 1862–
       U.S. The grey uniform of Confederate soldiers in the American Civil War (1861–5). Hence also: a Confederate soldier. Cf. greyback, n. 2, blue, n.…
   12. Johnny 1862–
       In specific uses. Sometimes as an abbreviation of the fuller names treated at compounds C.1. U.S. Among Unionist soldiers in the American Civil War…
   13. Johnny Reb 1862–
       (A generic name for) a member of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War (1861–5); (also) Confederate troops collectively (now histo…
   14. blue 1870–
       A person in a blue uniform. Usually in plural and with capital initial: any of various soldiers distinguished by the wearing of blue; spec. (a) a…
   15. blue coat 1885–
       Now usually in form bluecoat. A person whose uniform includes or is distinguished by a blue coat. A soldier wearing a blue coat; spec. a soldier…
   16. dogface 1932–
       U.S. slang. A soldier, esp. an infantryman, in the U.S. army.
   View in Historical Thesaurus
   1. Zou-Zou 1944–
      = Zouave, n. 1.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˈzuːzuː/

####

##### 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.

## Forms

### Variant forms

Also (rare) Zu-Zu.

Zou-Zou, n. was first published in 1986; not fully revised.

Zou-Zou, n. was last modified in December 2024.