zarzuela, n.

zarzuela
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zarzuela_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 1986; not fully revised

# zarzuelanoun

## Earlier version

- zarzuela in OED Second Edition (1989)

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zarzuela mean?

There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun zarzuela. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

zarzuela has developed meanings and uses in subjects including

theatre (1880s) food and cooking (1950s)

#### 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 zarzuela?

About 0.09occurrences per million words in modern written English

1880 | 0.019
1890 | 0.02
1900 | 0.026
1910 | 0.031
1920 | 0.038
1930 | 0.045
1940 | 0.058
1950 | 0.066
1960 | 0.073
1970 | 0.078
1980 | 0.082
1990 | 0.087
2000 | 0.093
2010 | 0.089

### How is the noun zarzuela pronounced?

#### British English

/zɑːˈzweɪlə/
zar-ZWAY-luh

#### U.S. English

/zɑrˈzweɪlə/
zar-ZWAY-luh

### Where does the noun zarzuela come from?

Earliest known use

1880s

The earliest known use of the noun zarzuela is in the 1880s.

OED's earliest evidence for zarzuela is from 1888, in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine.

zarzuela is a borrowing from Spanish.

### Nearby entries

1. zaratite, n. 1858–
2. zarcole, n. 1585–
3. zarda, n. 1899–
4. zardozi, n. 1871–
5. zarf | zurf, n. 1836–
6. zari, n. 1969–
7. zariba, n. 1849–
8. zariba, v. 1885–
9. zarnich, n. 1612–
10. Zarp, n. 1895–
11. zarzuela, n.1888–
12. zat, n. 1934–
13. zatch, n. 1950–
14. zawiya, n. 1836–
15. zawn, n. 1865–
16. zayat, n. 1823–
17. zayde, n. 1946–
18. zazen, n. 1727–
19. zazzy, adj. 1961–
20. Z band, n. 1950–
21. ZBB, n. 1976–

## Etymology

### Summary

A borrowing from Spanish.
Spanish…
Spanish.

### Notes

OED Supplement (1986) gives the pronunciation as (þaɹþuē·la) /θarˈθwela/ .

## Meaning & use

1. 1888–
   A traditional form of popular musical comedy in Spain.
   In its theatrical sense the word is said to be derived from the name Real Sitio de la Zarzuela in Madrid, where these works were first performed in the early 17th century.
   1. 1888

      > It had all transpired in a flash, like some of the absurd things he had seen in pantomimes by the zarzuela companies at the theatres.

      Lippincott's Monthly Magazine July 51
   2. 1922

      > The zarzuelas, the operettas of one act, largely improvised with local allusions.

      J. Hergesheimer, Bright Shawl (1923) 54
   3. 1947

      > The way was being prepared for the Italianization of Spanish music as early as Calderón's period, which brought forth the old zarzuela, a mixture of song and dance with spoken dramatic dialogue.

      A. Einstein, Music in Romantic Era xvii. 328
   4. 1973

      > The modern zarzuelas are really operettas or lyric dramas, which are a kind of Spanish equivalent of Gilbert and Sullivan and the Viennese operetta, full of tunes which have become part of Spain's popular culture.

      Oxford Times 30 March 14/5
   5. 1973

      > Less common are the old zarzuelas, the traditional musical dramas.

      R. A. Crampsey, Puerto Rico viii. 130
   6. 1983

      > A Catalan born in 1871,..he [sc. Amadeo Vives] was evidently best known as a zarzuela composer.

      Listener 21 April 31/2
   theatre
   1. Old Comedy 1529–
      The earliest of the three phases into which ancient Greek comedy is customarily divided, largely consisting of topical political satire with a…
   2. New Comedy 1542–
      The last of the three phases into which ancient Greek comedy is customarily divided, typically depicting fictional characters and situations…
   3. comedy of errors?1595–
      A comedy in which the plot develops through, and humour derives from, a series of misunderstandings, mistaken identities, etc.
   4. romantic comedy 1748–
      (Originally) a comedy having qualities associated with a literary romance (cf. romantic, adj. A.1a); (subsequently also) a film or other work…
   5. musical comedy 1765–
      A comic drama consisting of dialogue, songs, and dancing.
   6. comédie larmoyante 1773–
      A sentimental and moralizing form of comic drama popular in France in the 18th cent.
   7. sketch 1789–
      A short play or performance of slight dramatic construction and usually of a light or comic nature (see quot. 1892); also, a musical performance…
   8. serio-comedy 1808–
      A serio-comic work or performance. As a mass noun: the style or genre associated with this. Also in extended use.
   9. vaudeville 1827–
      A play or stage performance of a light and amusing character interspersed with songs; also without article, this species of play or comedy. Now in…
   10. teacup-and-saucer comedy 1842–
       attributive. teacup-and-saucer comedy, comedy of a mild and ‘proper’ character.
   11. satyr play 1845–
       (In ancient Greek drama) a burlesque or bawdily humorous drama featuring a chorus of satyr characters, esp. one written to be performed in succession…
   12. comedy sketch 1855–
       †a. A humorous or satirical depiction of a character (obsolete rare); b. a short comic play or performance, typically consisting of a single scene in…
   13. Restoration comedy 1866–
       A style of drama which flourished in London after the Restoration in 1660, typically having a complicated plot marked by wit, cynicism, and…
   14. comedy skit 1886–
       A short comic performance, esp. one written or improvised on a given theme or subject; a comedy sketch.
   15. bit 1887–
       U.S. A comical sketch or stand-up comedy routine.
   16. zarzuela 1888–
       A traditional form of popular musical comedy in Spain.
   17. situation comedy 1893–
       A comedy in which the humour depends mainly on the situations or circumstances faced by the characters; comedy of this type; (later) a television…
   18. comedy thriller 1910–
       A dramatic or literary work which combines comedy with elements of the thriller genre (cf. thriller, n.).
   19. sex comedy 1915–
       A play, film, or television programme which combines erotic and comic elements, or whose plot centres on romantic relationships or sexual encounters.
   20. sitcom 1956–
       A television or radio comedy series involving a regular cast of characters in a succession of amusing situations or circumstances, typically…
   View in Historical Thesaurus

### Additional sense (1993)

1. 1956–
   In Spain, a dish consisting of various kinds of seafood (zarzuela de mariscos) or fish (zarzuela de pescados) cooked in a rich sauce.
   1. 1956

      > Pot-pourri of fish (Zarzuela de pescados)..4 fillets or steaks of two different kinds of fish..4 small squids..12 mussels..A glass brandy [etc.].

      H. Mason, Good Food from Spain & Portugal 64
   2. 1969

      > Over cocktails and later over zarzuela, he recounted his wanderings.

      J. Harrington, Last Doorbell (1970) v. 129
   3. 1980

      > A zarzuela de mariscos was cooked to perfection, a veritable light opera of fish and shellfish simmered in a creamy lobster sauce.

      New York Times 25 July c18/3
   4. 1991

      > Dinner at ten in Barcelona for tantalizing zarzuela de mariscos..and a crystal flute or two of shimmering cava would be easily met.

      Wine & Spirits April 35/1
   food and cooking
   1. gyngawdry?c1390–1500
      A dish prepared with the livers of certain fishes.
   2. salomene c1430
      (See quot.)
   3. sorré c1430–50
      A dish made with chopped eels (or other fish, etc.) spiced and coloured. white sorré = blanch-de-sore (see blaundsore, n.).
   4. tavorsay c1450
      A dish of spiced cod's head and liver.
   5. spitchcock 1601–
      An eel cut into short pieces, dressed with bread-crumbs and chopped herbs, and broiled or fried. Also transferred.
   6. fish supper 1627–
      An evening meal with fish as the main course; spec. (esp. Scottish) a takeaway meal of fish and chips.
   7. minnow tansy 1655
      A dish of fried minnows seasoned with tansy.
   8. kedgeree 1662–
      An Indian dish of rice boiled with split pulse, onions, eggs, butter, and condiments; also, in European cookery, a dish made of cold fish, boiled…
   9. pepperpot 1698–
      A Caribbean soup or stew consisting of pieces of meat cooked slowly with red peppers, cassareep, sugar, and other seasoning. Also attributive in pepp…
   10. matelote 1723–
       A French dish of fish stewed in wine (typically eel in red wine), usually served garnished with small onions, mushrooms, and rashers of bacon.
   11. water-souchy 1726–
       Fish, esp. perch, boiled and served in the water used for cooking.
   12. pitchcock 1739–73
       = spitchcock, n. 2.
   13. fish ball 1758–
       A small ball made mainly of minced or chopped fish; (in East and Southeast Asian cookery) a small ball made mainly of minced fish and flour, often…
   14. flibrigo 1762
   15. twice-laid 1777–
       Nautical slang. (See quots.)
   16. ngapi 1800–
       In Burma (Myanmar): a pungent condiment consisting of fish or prawns which have been left to rot and then salted and dried. Cf. balachong, n.
   17. brandade?1810–
       A French Mediterranean dish consisting of salt cod mixed into a purée with olive oil, milk or cream, and herbs and other ingredients; = brandade de…
   18. a kettle of fish 1823–
       a kettle of fish. Esp. on the River Tweed: fish (esp. salmon) caught, cooked, and eaten on a picnic or boating excursion; (hence) a picnic or…
   19. fish cake 1824–
       A small patty of flaked or minced fish and mashed potato, usually coated in batter or breadcrumbs and fried.
   20. brandade de morue 1829–
       A French Mediterranean dish consisting of salt cod mixed into a purée with olive oil, milk or cream, and herbs and other ingredients; = brandade, n.
   21. truite au bleu 1834–
       Trout cooked with vinegar, which turns it blue; (also) a dish consisting of this.
   22. sole (à la) Colbert 1846–
       In the names of various dishes, as sole bonne femme; sole (à la) Colbert (see quot. 1877); sole (à la) meunière; sole Véronique (see quot. 1960).
   23. bouillabaisse 1855–
       A dish of Provençal origin, composed of fish stewed in water or spiced white wine. Also figurative.
   24. fish fry 1864–
       A piece of fried fish; fried fish served as a meal.
   25. hákarl 1879–
       An Icelandic dish comprising the meat of a Greenland shark that has been allowed to ferment (traditionally by burial in sand for up to twelve weeks)…
   26. sashimi 1880–
       A Japanese dish consisting of thin slices of raw fish served with grated radish or ginger and soy sauce. Also attributive or as adj.
   27. timbale 1880–
       Cookery. A dish made of finely minced meat, fish, or other ingredients, cooked in a crust of paste or in a mould: so called from its shape.
   28. fish and chips 1887–
       A dish consisting of deep-fried battered white fish, typically cod or haddock, served with chips (chip, n.² I.2c).
   29. gefilte fish 1892–
       A dish consisting of slices or balls of ground fish baked in a fish or vegetable broth and typically served cold.
   30. stamp and go 1893–
       (Usually with hyphens.) In the West Indies: a simple, quickly prepared codfish fritter (see also quot. 1893).
   31. fish finger 1898–
       A small oblong piece of filleted fish coated in batter or breadcrumbs, typically fried or grilled.
   32. fish and brewis 1907–
       A dish of salted cod cooked with hard bread (cf. brewis, n. 2).
   33. truite bleue 1907–
       = truite au bleu, n.
   34. waterzooi 1915–
       A traditional Belgian soup or stew of fish or chicken with vegetables. Cf. water-souchy, n. 1.
   35. accra 1919–
       Caribbean. A fritter made with minced fish, esp. salt cod, and traditionally often served with fried bread.
   36. Bismarck herring 1931–
       A marinaded herring served cold.
   37. gravlax 1935–
       A Scandinavian dish consisting of dry-cured salmon marinated in a mixture containing salt, spices, and dill.
   38. fish burger 1937–
       A patty made of fish, sometimes blended with other ingredients and typically served in a bread roll or bun.
   39. fish cake 1940–
       English regional (Yorkshire). A piece of fish that is placed between two slices of potato, coated in batter, and fried. Frequently with modifying…
   40. goujon 1940–
       Cookery. plural. Narrow, deep-fried strips of fish, esp. sole (see quot. 1964).
   41. coddie 1941–
       North American. A fishcake made with cod; spec. one made with salt cod and potatoes, deep-fried, and typically served between two crackers with…
   42. seviche 1951–
       A Spanish American dish of raw fish or seafood marinaded in lime or lemon juice, usually garnished and served as a starter.
   43. fish stick 1952–
       North American. A small oblong piece of filleted fish coated in batter or breadcrumbs, typically fried or grilled; = fish finger, n.
   44. tuna salad 1953–
   45. amok 1955–
       In Cambodian and Thai cookery: a dish traditionally made with fish, coconut milk, and spices, steamed in a banana leaf; (also) the spice paste or…
   46. crabstick 1956–
       a. A finger-shaped portion of (imitation) crabmeat coated in batter or breadcrumbs (cf. fish stick, n. 2b). b. (A piece of) imitation crabmeat made…
   47. zarzuela 1956–
       In Spain, a dish consisting of various kinds of seafood (zarzuela de mariscos) or fish (zarzuela de pescados) cooked in a rich sauce.
   48. sole Véronique 1960–
       In the names of various dishes, as sole bonne femme; sole (à la) Colbert (see quot. 1877); sole (à la) meunière; sole Véronique (see quot. 1960).
   49. fish head curry 1972–
       In Singaporean, Malaysian, and Indonesian cookery: a dish influenced by Chinese and South Indian cuisine, consisting of a large fish head, usually…
   50. moqueca 1980–
       A strongly flavoured fish stew cooked with palm oil and coconut milk, originating in the state of Bahia, Brazil.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/zɑːˈzweɪlə/
zar-ZWAY-luh

### U.S. English

/zɑrˈzweɪlə/
zar-ZWAY-luh

####

##### 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

## Frequency

zarzuela typically occurs about 0.09 times per million words in modern written English.

zarzuela is in frequency band 3, which contains words occurring between 0.01 and 0.1 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 zarzuela, n., 1880–2010

* 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
--- | ---
1880 | 0.019
1890 | 0.02
1900 | 0.026
1910 | 0.031
1920 | 0.038
1930 | 0.045
1940 | 0.058
1950 | 0.066
1960 | 0.073
1970 | 0.078
1980 | 0.082
1990 | 0.087
2000 | 0.093
2010 | 0.089

### Frequency of zarzuela, n., 2017–2024

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Modern frequency series are derived from a corpus of 20 billion words, covering the period from 2017 to the present. The corpus is mainly compiled from online news sources, and covers all major varieties of World English.

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 corpus.

Period | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
2017 | 0.0023
2018 | 0.0017
2019 | 0.002
2020 | 0.002
2021 | 0.0036
2022 | 0.0034
2023 | 0.0042
2024 | 0.0046

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

zarzuela, n. was last modified in December 2024.