zephyr

plural zephyrs · alternative archaic zephir

1. A light wind from the west.

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   The Western [winds] have been Counted the mildest, & most Auspicious of all others; and were so highly in favour with the Poets, that they thought them worthy of the Golden Age, and to refresh the Elysian groves. [...] But though the Breathing Zephyrs are so much celebrated in Poems and Romances, and happily were kinder to the delicious countries of Italy, & Greece, yet wee find no lesse malignity in their natures from particular accidents and climats, then what wee have observ’d of other Winds.

   1671, R. Bohun, A Discourse Concerning the Origine and Properties of Wind, Oxford: Tho. Bowman, pages 149–150

   Synonyms: westerly

2. Any light refreshing wind; a gentle breeze.

   The dusk of evening came on, soft in its solemnity, and unoppressive even in its gloom, under the sweet sky and unmolested zephyr, casting its pleasant shadows along the edges of the grove.

   1835, William Gilmore Simms, The Partisan, Harper, Chapter XI, page 135

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   O thou Goddeſſe, / Thou diuine Nature; thou^([sic – meaning how]) thy ſelfe thou blazon'ſt / In theſe two Princely Boyes: they are as gentle / As Zephires blowing below the Violet, / Not wagging his ſweet head; [...]

   1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii], page 388, column 2

   The eaſterly or trade winds, which generally blow between the Tropics, are extremely refreſhing to the coaſt of Guiana, between the hours of eight or ten in the morning, and ſix o'clock in the evening, when they ceaſe to operate, and a zephyr is ſcarcely ever heard to whiſper during the night.

   1796, J[ohn] G[abriel] Stedman, chapter II, in Narrative of a Five Years’ Expedition against the Revolted Negroes of Surinam, in Guiana, on the Wild Coast of South America; […], volume I, London: J[oseph] Johnson, […], and J. Edwards, […], →OCLC, page 31

   It [a house] stood on a sharp bleak corner, where that tempestuous wind Euroclydon kept up a worse howling than ever it did about poor Paul's tossed craft. Euroclydon, nevertheless, is a mighty pleasant zephyr to any one in-doors, with his feet on the hob quietly toasting for bed.

   1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “The Carpet-bag”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 10

3. Anything of fine, soft, or light quality, especially fabric.

   The world hummed and spun about him. There was a whirling of zephyr skirts, four impassioned faces sweeping towards the open door of the passage that ran through the vicarage. He felt his position went with them.

   1895, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “At the Vicarage. Chapter X.”, in The Wonderful Visit (Macmillan’s Colonial Library), London; New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, page 39

4. A type of soft confectionery made by whipping fruit and berry purée (mostly apple purée) with sugar and egg whites with subsequent addition of a gelling agent like pectin, carrageenan, agar, or gelatine.

   The Russian zephyr and bird’s milk fillings rely on agar as a gelling agent

   2017, Karl F. Tiefenbacher, The Technology of Wafers and Waffles I: Operational Aspects, London: Academic Press, →ISBN, page 346

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   In 1953 the Russian Republic Ministry of the Food Products Industry increased confectionery output 10% above 1952, including wrapped and packaged confectionery 46%, chocolates 57%, toffee 65%, fruit preserves, pastilles and Zephyrs 20% and halva—by 36%.

   1954, The Current Digest of the Soviet Press, volume 6, American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies, page 11, column 1

   The French not only vastly expanded the Russian repertory of sauces, but they also introduced an entirely new range of light, airy desserts including creams, zephyrs, and mousses.

   1992, Joyce Toomre, “[Introduction] French Influence on Russian Cuisine”, in Classic Russian Cooking: Elena Molokhovets’ A Gift to Young Housewives (Indiana-Michigan Series in Russian and East European Studies), Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana University Press, →ISBN, page 21

   For desserts there were “airy pie,” charlottes, mousses, kissel, plombir and “zephyrs.”

   2003, Valentina Antonievna Seletzky, “The Evgoschino Interlude”, in Mosaic: A Child’s Recollections of the Russian Revolution, Lincoln, Neb.: iUniverse, Inc., →ISBN

   2 tablespoons beet juice (optional—include it if you’re nostalgic for pink zephyr)

   2017, Bonnie Frumkin Morales with Deena Prichep, “Zephyr”, in Kachka: A Return to Russian Cooking, New York, N.Y.: Flatiron Books, →ISBN

   When the zephyrs are firm to the touch, press the two zephyr halves together and roll in powdered sugar.

   2019, Marvel Cook, “Black Currant Russian Zephyrs”, in Cooking Healthy and Loving It! 101 Happy and Healthy Recipes Including Gluten-Free, Diabetic and Vegan to Help You Feel Your Very Best!, Summit, N.J.: Cape Crystal Brands, →ISBN, page 31

present singular third person zephyrs · participle present zephyring · participle past zephyred · past zephyred · alternative archaic zephir

1. intransitivepoeticTo blow or move like a zephyr, or light breeze.

   But there was a new afflation— / An aura zephyring round, / That care infected not: [...]

   1922, Thomas Hardy, “An Experience”, in Late Lyrics and Earlier with Many Other Verses, London: Macmillan and Co., […], →OCLC, stanza 2, page 111

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   There was a time When the soft zephyring spring came joyfully, Like a young bride, with bloom upon her cheek—

   1879, Robert Stephen Hawker, “An Inscription for an Aged Oak”, in The Poetical Works, London: The Bodley Head, page 171

   There was a sudden scrambling and thumping overhead and hot exclamations zephyred down to them.

   1908, Clarence E. Mulford, chapter 4, in The Coming of Hopalong Cassidy, New York: Grosset & Dunlap, page 60

2. poetictransitiveTo blow or blow on gently like a zephyr; to cool or refresh with a gentle breeze.

   1914, Leonard Lanson Cline, untitled sonnet in Poems, Boston: The Poet Lore Company, p. 76, Ah, but the skies are joyous in the spring, From dawn to dusk exuberantly blue; White-tufted oftentimes with clouds that do But wanton in heaven’s zephyred merrying!

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   1849, letter from Leonidas Lent Hamline dated 15 December, 1849, in Walter Clark Palmer, Life and Letters of Leonidas L. Hamline, D.D., New York: Carlton & Porter, 1866, Chapter 15, p. 361, He was a fragrant poison, a zephyred pestilence spread through all the city.

   1914, Juliane Paulsen (pseudonym of Juliane Grace Hansen), “Poppy Fantasy” in And Then Came Spring, Boston: The Gorham Press, p. 49, Oh, graciously she led my soul within Where ever and forever went a wind In zephyred streams of poppies coursing sweet About the place, and waves of poppy heat About us there.

alternative Zephyrus

1. Greekhuman sciencesThe god of the West Wind.

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   For a Tempeſt. Take Eurus, Zephyr, Auſter and Boreas, and caſt them together in one Verſe. Add to theſe of Rain, Lightning, and of Thunder (the loudeſt you can) quantum ſufficit. Mix your Clouds and Billows well together till they foam, and thicken your Deſcription here and there with a Quickſand. Brew your Tempeſt well in your Head, before you ſet it a blowing.

   1714 June 10, [Alexander Pope], The Guardian, volume I, number 78, London: Printed for J[acob] Tonson, at Shakespear's-Head over-against Catherine-street in the Strand, page 332

2. poeticThe west wind personified.
3. A surname.

   Even as her Republican peers sought to isolate her in the wake of her impassioned comments against a proposed ban on what doctors call gender-affirming medical care for children, Ms. Zephyr said she would not remain idle.

   2023 April 27, Jim Robbins, Mike Baker, Jacey Fortin, “A Transgender Lawmaker Is Exiled as Montana G.O.P. Flexes New Power”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 30 Apr 2023