z-variant

noun

A variant Han character, theoretically unifiable under the Han unification policy but encoded separately for backwards compatibility.

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Meanings

nounz-variant (plural z-variants)

plural z-variants

  1. UnicodeA variant Han character, theoretically unifiable under the Han unification policy but encoded separately for backwards compatibility.

Origin

From the three dimensions visualized for the character space. The x-axis separates characters by semantics (function and meaning, e.g. A from B), the y-axis separates them by their abstract shape (general form, e.g. uppercase A from lowercase a), and the z-axis by their apparent shape (minor details such as typeface, e.g. printed from handwritten a).

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Cite this entry
APA

z-variant. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/z-variant

MLA

“z-variant.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/z-variant. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “z-variant,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/z-variant.

Source: z-variant on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.