zaffre | zaffer, n.

zaffre
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zaffre_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 1921; not fully revised

# zaffre | zaffernoun

## Earlier version

- zaffre in OED Second Edition (1989)

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zaffre mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zaffre. 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 zaffre?

Fewer than 0.01occurrences per million words in modern written English

1760 | 0.15
1770 | 0.14
1780 | 0.13
1790 | 0.12
1800 | 0.1
1810 | 0.094
1820 | 0.064
1830 | 0.05
1840 | 0.036
1850 | 0.03
1860 | 0.025
1870 | 0.019
1880 | 0.014
1890 | 0.0096
1900 | 0.0066
1910 | 0.0058
1920 | 0.0058
1930 | 0.0054
1940 | 0.004
1950 | 0.0037
1960 | 0.0034
1970 | 0.0033
1980 | 0.003
1990 | 0.002
2000 | 0.0014
2010 | 0.0009

### How is the noun zaffre pronounced?

#### British English

/ˈzafə/
ZAFF-uh

#### U.S. English

/ˈzæfər/
ZAFF-uhr

### Where does the noun zaffre come from?

Earliest known use

mid 1600s

The earliest known use of the noun zaffre is in the mid 1600s.

OED's earliest evidence for zaffre is from 1662, in a translation by C. Merret.

zaffre is of multiple origins. Either a borrowing from Italian. Or a borrowing from French.

Etymons: Italian zaffera; French zafre.

### Nearby entries

1. zabaglione, n. 1899–
2. zabernism, n. 1916–21
3. zabernize, v. 1914
4. zabra, n. 1523–
5. zabuton, n. 1879–
6. zac, n. 1898–
7. 'zackly | 'zactly, adv. 1886–
8. zad, n. 1669–
9. Zadokite, n. & adj. 1910–
10. zadruga, n. 1887–
11. zaffre | zaffer, n.1662–
12. zaftig, adj. 1921–
13. zafu, n. 1965–
14. zag, n., adv., & v. 1793–
15. zagaie | zagaye, n. 1590–1698
16. Zaghlulist, n. & adj. 1921–
17. zaguan, n. 1851–
18. Zahal, n. 1959–
19. zaibatsu, n. 1937–
20. Zaidi, n. 1709–
21. zaikai, n. 1968–

## Etymology

### Summary

Either a borrowing from Italian. Or a borrowing from French.
Etymons: Italian zaffera; French zafre.
< Italian zaffera (Neri) or French zafre, safre (12–13th cent.); compare Spanish zafre, safre, German zaffer, zaffra: of uncertain origin.

## Meaning & use

1. 1662–
   An impure oxide of cobalt, obtained by roasting cobalt-ore, and used in the preparation of smalt and as a blue colouring-matter (cobalt blue) for pottery, glass, etc.
   1. 1662

      > Take Zaffer in gross pieces.

      C. Merret, translation of A. Neri, Art of Glass xii
   2. 1686

      > Smalt is made of Zaffer and Pot-ashes.

      Philosophical Transactions (Royal Society) vol. 16 26
   3. 1693

      > Zaphara, or Saffera.

      translation of S. Blankaart, Physical Dictionary (ed. 2) 113
   4. 1745

      > Zaffer, which is used by the Glass-makers and Enamellers, is made of Cobalt..calcined after the subliming the Flowers.

      W. Watson in Philosophical Transactions 1744–5 (Royal Society) vol. 43 497
   5. 1804

      > Smalt, or vitreous oxide of cobalt, is saffer reduced to blue glass by the action of a violent fire.

      translation of P. F. Tingry, Painter & Varnisher's Guide 301
   6. 1845

      > Zaffre, digested in aqua regia, and diluted with four times its weight of water, is sometimes employed; a green tint results.

      E. A. Poe, Gold-bug in Tales 25
   7. 1912

      > The Egyptian porcelain..manufacturer, who used for the zaffre the Cyprus blue-stone.

      Contemporary Review December 860
   1. powder blue 1628–
      Powdered smalt.
   2. zaffre 1662–
      An impure oxide of cobalt, obtained by roasting cobalt-ore, and used in the preparation of smalt and as a blue colouring-matter (cobalt blue) for…
   3. ultramarine 1695–
      = A.3b.
   4. smalt 1775–
      A deep blue colour like that of smalt.
   5. ultramarine blue (or colour) 1781–
      ultramarine blue (or colour). A blue colour like that of this pigment.
   6. royal blue 1782–
      a. n. A deep vivid blue; b. adj. of this colour.
   7. smalt-blue 1794–
      The rich blue colour of smalt. Cf. powder blue, n. A.2a.
   8. mazarine blue 1803–
      A small Eurasian butterfly, Cyaniris semiargus (family Lycaenidae), now extinct in Britain, the male of which is a dull purplish blue.
   9. blue feldspar 1804–
      = lazulite, n.; cf. blue spar, n.
   10. lazulite 1807–
       Hydrous phosphate of aluminium and magnesium, found in blue monoclinic crystals; also, the colour of this mineral. ¶Sometimes used = lapis lazuli, n.
   11. cobalt 1835–
       The blue pigment, also called cobalt-blue n. prepared from this mineral, largely used in staining glass. Also the deep blue colour of this.
   12. Vienna blue 1835–
       In the names of pigments used in painting, decorative arts, etc. The blue pigment cobalt blue.
   13. Venetian blue c1840–
       A turquoise or cobalt blue.
   14. bleu-de-roi 1848–
       The ultramarine blue of Sèvres porcelain; also called bleu de Sèvres. Also attributive.
   15. gentian blue 1848–
       The vivid deep blue colour of certain gentian flowers (see gentian, n. A.1a). Cf. gentian, n. A.3.
   16. gentian 1854–
       The vivid deep blue colour of certain gentian flowers. Cf. gentian blue, n.
   17. mazarine 1857–
       A rich deep blue; mazarine blue. Now rare.
   18. night-blue 1865–
       A very deep blue colour; the colour of the night sky.
   19. lapis lazuli 1870–
       A complex silicate containing sulfur, of bright blue colour, used as a pigment (see ultramarine, adj. & n.). Also, the colour of this mineral.
   20. Reckitt's blue 1877–
       (a) n. A type of laundry whitener, now chiefly used as a brightening agent (cf. blue, n. B.1c); (also) the clear cobalt blue colour of this…
   21. royal 1885–
       Short for royal blue, n.
   22. Littler's blue 1904–
       A rich blue colour applied to porcelain or stoneware.
   23. delphine 1909–
       = delphinium, n. b.
   24. delphinium 1923–
       A deep blue like that of the indigo-blue delphinium.
   25. Madonna blue 1932–
       A shade of deep blue.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˈzafə/
ZAFF-uh

### U.S. English

/ˈzæfər/
ZAFF-uhr

####

##### 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

Also (1600s zaphara, saffera), 1800s saffre, saffer, ( zaffira, suphara).

## Frequency

zaffre typically occurs fewer than 0.01 times per million words in modern written English.

zaffre is in frequency band 2, which contains words occurring between 0.001 and 0.01 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands

Frequency data is computed programmatically, and should be regarded as an estimate.

### Frequency of zaffre | zaffer, n., 1760–2010

* 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
--- | ---
1760 | 0.15
1770 | 0.14
1780 | 0.13
1790 | 0.12
1800 | 0.1
1810 | 0.094
1820 | 0.064
1830 | 0.05
1840 | 0.036
1850 | 0.03
1860 | 0.025
1870 | 0.019
1880 | 0.014
1890 | 0.0096
1900 | 0.0066
1910 | 0.0058
1920 | 0.0058
1930 | 0.0054
1940 | 0.004
1950 | 0.0037
1960 | 0.0034
1970 | 0.0033
1980 | 0.003
1990 | 0.002
2000 | 0.0014
2010 | 0.0009

zaffre, n. was first published in 1921; not fully revised.

zaffre, n. was last modified in July 2023.