zetz

Z10E1T1Z10

noun

A punch; a blow.

OriginYiddish זעץ ← Old High German Satz →
Scrabble 22
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Meanings

nounzetz (plural zetzes)

plural zetzes · alternative zets

  1. slangA punch; a blow.

    […] when suddenly I felt a zetz in the ribs and a whisper in my ear.

    2013, Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Joel Segel, Jewish with Feeling: A Guide to Meaningful Jewish Practice, page 75

Origin

  1. Old High GermanSatz“a leap”
  2. Yiddishזעץ“a punch, a blow, a hit”
  3. Englishzetz

From Yiddish זעץ (zets, “a punch, a blow, a hit”), ultimately from Old High German Satz (“a leap”). Compare with Yiddish זעצן (zetsn, “to sit”).

More words from Yiddish, Old High German

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

zetz. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zetz

MLA

“zetz.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zetz. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “zetz,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zetz.

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