zirbus, n.

zirbus
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zirbus_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 2021

# zirbusnoun

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zirbus mean?

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

### How is the noun zirbus pronounced?

#### British English

/ˈzəːbəs/
ZUR-buhss

#### U.S. English

/ˈzərbəs/
ZURR-buhss

### Where does the noun zirbus come from?

Earliest known use

Middle English

The earliest known use of the noun zirbus is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).

OED's earliest evidence for zirbus is from before 1400, in Lanfranc's Science of Cirurgie.

zirbus is a borrowing from Latin.

Etymons: Latin zirbus.

### Nearby entries

1. zip tie, n. 1969–
2. zip-tie, v. 1985–
3. zip top, n. 1926–
4. zip-up, adj. & n. 1927–
5. zip wire, n. 1971–
6. zir, pron. 1993–
7. zir, adj. 1993–
8. ziraleet, n. 1794–
9. ziram, n. 1950–
10. zirbal, adj.?a1425–
11. zirbus, n.a1400–
12. zircaloy, n. 1953–
13. zircon, n. 1794–
14. zirconate, n. 1820–
15. zircon blue, n. & adj. 1928–
16. zircon earth, n. 1794–
17. zirconia, n. 1794–
18. zirconian, adj. 1802–
19. zirconic, adj. 1804–
20. zirconite, n. 1806–
21. zirconitic, adj. 1883–

## Etymology

### Summary

A borrowing from Latin.
Etymon: Latin zirbus.
< post-classical Latin zirbus omentum (12th cent.) < Arabic ṯarb.

## Meaning & use

Anatomy and Surgery. Now historical and rare.

1. a1400–
   The omentum; spec. the greater omentum, a fold of peritoneum passing from the stomach to the transverse colon and hanging in front of the intestines.
   1. a1400

      > Þoruȝ þe same breking þe bowels falliþ adoun ouþir zirbus.

      translation of Lanfranc, Science of Cirurgie (Ashmole MS.) (1894) 270 (Middle English Dictionary)
   2. ?c1425

      > Lay þe pacient vpriȝt on his bak, and put yn aȝen þe intestynes or guttes and zirbus..and bynde it with a strong þrede.

      translation of Guy de Chauliac, Grande Chirurgie (Paris MS.) (1971) 500 (Middle English Dictionary)
   3. c1475 (1392)

      > Wherfore it schewiþ þat zirbus ys cold and drie by cause of þe tweye membris of whom he is compouned, and þou schalt vndirstonde þat zirbus & Omentum is al oon þing.

      Surgical Treatises in MS Wellcome 564 f. 41 (Middle English Dictionary)
      [Composed 1392]
   4. 1543

      > For whan zirbus commethe out of the wounde, putrefaction must nedes ensue.

      B. Traheron, translation of J. de Vigo, Most Excellent Workes of Chirurgerye iii.i. f. C.iv/2
   5. 1597

      > The Zirbus or fat, commonly called the Caule, issued foorth, with the guts likewise.

      J. Gerard, Herball ii. 853
   6. a1654

      > You may know when the Intestines is descended by noise that it will make..; but if it be the Zirbus, it makes no noise.

      N. Culpeper, School of Physick (1659) 211
   7. 1682

      > We..doubt whether this also may not have tempted our Predecessors immediately to cut off the elapsed part of the Zirbus, without trying whether they could reduce or preserve it.

      J. Yonge, Wounds of Brain 123
   8. 1917

      > The wound made by the missile was of such a nature that it permitted a large portion of the ‘zirbus’ (omentum)..to protrude from the opening.

      A. H. Buck, Growth of Medicine xli. 521
   anatomy surgery historical
   1. net Old English–1844
      A sheet of connective tissue, esp. the omentum or the mesentery (later spec. in a food animal).
   2. caul 1382–
      spec. The fatty membrane investing the intestines; the epiploön or omentum.
   3. siphac 1398–1587
      The peritoneum.
   4. zirbus a1400–
      The omentum; spec. the greater omentum, a fold of peritoneum passing from the stomach to the transverse colon and hanging in front of the intestines.
   5. womb clout c1400–1607
      An omentum; tripe. Cf. womb, n. 1.
   6. mesentery?a1425–
      Anatomy and Zoology. Originally: the folded sheet of peritoneum in which the jejunum and ileum are suspended from the dorsal abdominal wall. Later…
   7. omentum?a1425–
      A fold of the peritoneum connecting the stomach with the liver, spleen, colon, etc. Also called caul, epiploon.
   8. peritoneum?a1425–
      In mammals: the serous membrane that lines the walls of the abdominal cavity and the undersurface of the diaphragm, and covers most of the…
   9. paunch clout 1440–1607
      Tripe; (also) the omentum.
   10. epiploön?1541–
       The caul or omentum, a fatty membrane enwrapping the intestines.
   11. mesenterium?1541–
       = mesentery, n. 1.
   12. mesaraeum 1543–1891
       The mesentery of the small intestine.
   13. rim 1565–
       spec. The peritoneum. More fully rim of the belly (also †body, †paunch, †womb, etc.).
   14. kell 1578–
       spec. The fatty membrane investing the intestines; the omentum: = caul, n.¹ 5a.
   15. rind 1585–
       †A membranous layer or lining within the body, esp. the peritoneum (obsolete); (also) the outer layer (cortex) of an organ (see cortex, n. 3).
   16. belly-piece 1591–1658
       The flesh covering the belly; the peritoneum.
   17. coif 1597–1622
       = omentum, n. (Cf. Cotgrave at Coiffe.) Obsolete.
   18. cell 1607
       Probably: = caul, n.¹ 5a.
   19. reticulum 1615–1728
       Anatomy. = omentum, n. Obsolete.
   20. mesocolon 1684–
       The mesentery of the colon.
   21. lesser omentum 1752–
       The smaller section of the omentum, extending from the liver to the upper part of the stomach and duodenum; also called gastrohepatic omentum.
   22. great omentum 1754–
       = greater omentum, n.
   23. greater omentum 1804–
       The larger section of the omentum, connecting the stomach to the transverse colon and hanging down like a sheet in front of the jejunum and ileum…
   24. mesogaster 1807–
       = mesogastrium, n. 1.
   25. mesocaecum 1835–
       The mesentery of the caecum (only occasionally present in the adult human).
   26. ruffle 1846–
       The fan-like mesentery of the small intestine, esp. in a food animal.
   27. mesogastrium 1848
       Medicine and Surgery. The middle (umbilical or mesogastric) region of the abdomen, between the epigastrium and the hypogastrium. Cf. mesogastric, adj.…
   28. mid-gut 1875–
       The middle part of the digestive tube, between the foregut and hindgut, esp. in an insect or embryo; (in vertebrates) the small intestine; also…
   29. mesovarium 1882–
       The mesentery that supports the ovary.
   30. mesocyst 1890
       Anatomy. The mesentery attaching the gall bladder to the liver (present only when the gall bladder is fully invested by peritoneum). Obsolete. rare.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˈzəːbəs/
ZUR-buhss

### U.S. English

/ˈzərbəs/
ZURR-buhss

####

##### 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

### Variant forms

1. Middle English
   gibbus (transmission error)
2. Middle English–
   zirbus
3. late Middle English
   zirbis

zirbus, n. was first published in March 2021.

zirbus, n. was last modified in July 2023.