zama-zama

noun

A person who works illegally in abandoned mineshafts in order to retrieve metals or minerals.

OriginZulu -zama →
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Meanings

nounzama-zama (plural zama-zamas)

plural zama-zamas

  1. South AfricaA person who works illegally in abandoned mineshafts in order to retrieve metals or minerals.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
zama

Origin

  1. Zulu-zama
  2. Englishzama-zama

From Zulu -zama, stem of ukuzama (“to try, strive, make an attempt to obtain something”).

More words from Zulu

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

zama-zama. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zama-zama

MLA

“zama-zama.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zama-zama. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “zama-zama,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zama-zama.

Source: zama-zama on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.