Wiktionary

zen

See also: Appendix:Variations of "zen"

Translingual edit

Symbol edit

zen

  1. (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-3 language code for Zenaga.

English edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From Zen. In more general use, popularized by Eugen Herrigel's 1948 Zen in the Art of Archery and Robert M. Pirsig's 1974 Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

Pronunciation edit

  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛn

Noun edit

zen (uncountable)

  1. (religion) Synonym of enlightenment, particularly the kind acquired through Zen meditation.
  2. An approach to instruction, understanding, or an activity similarly emphasizing simplicity and intuition rather than conventional thinking or fixation on goals.
    the zen of cooking
    the zen of passing the bar exam
    the zen of C++

Synonyms edit

  • (a simple & intuitive method reflecting supposed Eastern wisdom): tao

Adjective edit

zen (comparative more zen, superlative most zen)

  1. (religion) Alternative letter-case form of Zen: of or related to Zen Buddhism, particularly its focus on indirect teaching of wisdom through riddles and stories.
    • 2006 Oct. 1, Dennis Lehane, "Refugees", The Wire, 00:37:10:
      Greggs: You hung over? Just sayin', you look like shit.
      Moreland: You know what you need at a crime scene?
      Greggs: Rubber glove?
      Moreland: Soft eyes.
      Greggs: Like I'm s'posed to cry an' shit?
      Moreland: You got soft eyes, you can see the whole thing. You got hard eyes? You starin' at the same tree, missin' the forest.
      Greggs: Ah. Zen shit.
      Moreland: Soft eyes, grasshopper.
  2. (colloquial) Wise, displaying enlightenment or similar wisdom, insightful, unburdened and free of worries, extremely relaxed and capable.

Usage notes edit

In general application, zen can carry orientalizing overtones, particularly of smug superiority over conventional western thought. It is therefore also applied sarcastically to disparage shallow understanding, feigned wisdom, or bullshitting.

References edit

  • “zen”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams edit

Antillean Creole edit

Noun edit

zen

  1. fishhook

Aynu edit

Etymology edit

Related to Persian زن‎ (zan).

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

zen

  1. woman

References edit

  • Otto Ladstätter, Andreas Tietze, Die Abdal (Äynu) in Xinjiang (1994)

Basque edit

Pronunciation edit

 
  • IPA(key): (most dialects) /s̻en/ [s̻ẽn]
  • IPA(key): (Biscayan) /s̺en/ [s̺ẽn]

  • Rhymes: -en
  • Hyphenation: zen

Verb edit

zen (masculine allocutive zuan, feminine allocutive zunan)

  1. Third-person singular (hura) past indicative form of izan.

Finnish edit

Etymology edit

From Japanese 禅(ぜん) (zen).

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈzen/, [ˈze̞n]
  • IPA(key): /ˈtsen/, [ˈts̠e̞n]
  • Rhymes: -en
  • Syllabification(key): zen

Noun edit

zen

  1. zen

Declension edit

Inflection of zen (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative zen zenit
genitive zenin zenien
partitive zeniä zenejä
illative zeniin zeneihin
singular plural
nominative zen zenit
accusative nom. zen zenit
gen. zenin
genitive zenin zenien
partitive zeniä zenejä
inessive zenissä zeneissä
elative zenistä zeneistä
illative zeniin zeneihin
adessive zenillä zeneillä
ablative zeniltä zeneiltä
allative zenille zeneille
essive zeninä zeneinä
translative zeniksi zeneiksi
abessive zenittä zeneittä
instructive — zenein
comitative See the possessive forms below.
Possessive forms of zen (type risti)
first-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative zenini zenini
accusative nom. zenini zenini
gen. zenini
genitive zenini zenieni
partitive zeniäni zenejäni
inessive zenissäni zeneissäni
elative zenistäni zeneistäni
illative zeniini zeneihini
adessive zenilläni zeneilläni
ablative zeniltäni zeneiltäni
allative zenilleni zeneilleni
essive zeninäni zeneinäni
translative zenikseni zeneikseni
abessive zenittäni zeneittäni
instructive — —
comitative — zeneineni
second-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative zenisi zenisi
accusative nom. zenisi zenisi
gen. zenisi
genitive zenisi zeniesi
partitive zeniäsi zenejäsi
inessive zenissäsi zeneissäsi
elative zenistäsi zeneistäsi
illative zeniisi zeneihisi
adessive zenilläsi zeneilläsi
ablative zeniltäsi zeneiltäsi
allative zenillesi zeneillesi
essive zeninäsi zeneinäsi
translative zeniksesi zeneiksesi
abessive zenittäsi zeneittäsi
instructive — —
comitative — zeneinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative zenimme zenimme
accusative nom. zenimme zenimme
gen. zenimme
genitive zenimme zeniemme
partitive zeniämme zenejämme
inessive zenissämme zeneissämme
elative zenistämme zeneistämme
illative zeniimme zeneihimme
adessive zenillämme zeneillämme
ablative zeniltämme zeneiltämme
allative zenillemme zeneillemme
essive zeninämme zeneinämme
translative zeniksemme zeneiksemme
abessive zenittämme zeneittämme
instructive — —
comitative — zeneinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative zeninne zeninne
accusative nom. zeninne zeninne
gen. zeninne
genitive zeninne zenienne
partitive zeniänne zenejänne
inessive zenissänne zeneissänne
elative zenistänne zeneistänne
illative zeniinne zeneihinne
adessive zenillänne zeneillänne
ablative zeniltänne zeneiltänne
allative zenillenne zeneillenne
essive zeninänne zeneinänne
translative zeniksenne zeneiksenne
abessive zenittänne zeneittänne
instructive — —
comitative — zeneinenne
third-person possessor
singular plural
nominative zeninsä zeninsä
accusative nom. zeninsä zeninsä
gen. zeninsä
genitive zeninsä zeniensä
partitive zeniään
zeniänsä 		zenejään
zenejänsä
inessive zenissään
zenissänsä 		zeneissään
zeneissänsä
elative zenistään
zenistänsä 		zeneistään
zeneistänsä
illative zeniinsä zeneihinsä
adessive zenillään
zenillänsä 		zeneillään
zeneillänsä
ablative zeniltään
zeniltänsä 		zeneiltään
zeneiltänsä
allative zenilleen
zenillensä 		zeneilleen
zeneillensä
essive zeninään
zeninänsä 		zeneinään
zeneinänsä
translative zenikseen
zeniksensä 		zeneikseen
zeneiksensä
abessive zenittään
zenittänsä 		zeneittään
zeneittänsä
instructive — —
comitative — zeneineen
zeneinensä

Further reading edit

French edit

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

zen m (plural zen)

  1. zen

Adjective edit

zen (invariable)

  1. (relational) zen
  2. (colloquial) extremely relaxed and collected

Further reading edit

Anagrams edit

Haitian Creole edit

Noun edit

zen

  1. fishhook

Indonesian edit

Etymology edit

 
Indonesian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia id

From Japanese 禅 (ぜん, zen), from Middle Chinese 禪 (MC dzyen) (compare Mandarin 禅 (chán), an abbreviation of 禪那 (MC dzyen na), from Sanskrit ध्यान (dhyāna, “a type of meditation”). Akin to dhyana.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /zɛn/
  • Hyphenation: zèn

Noun edit

zen

  1. (religion) A denomination of Buddhism.

Further reading edit

Japanese edit

Romanization edit

zen

  1. Rōmaji transcription of ぜん

Mandarin edit

Romanization edit

zen

  1. Nonstandard spelling of zēn.
  2. Nonstandard spelling of zěn.
  3. Nonstandard spelling of zèn.

Usage notes edit

  • Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Middle English edit

Noun edit

zen

  1. (Kent) Alternative form of synne

Polish edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Japanese 禅, from Middle Chinese 禪 (MC dzyen).

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

zen m inan or zen n (indeclinable)

  1. zen (denomination of Buddhism)

Declension edit

Masculine inanimate:

Declension of zen
singular plural
nominative zen zeny
genitive zenu zenów
dative zenowi zenom
accusative zen zeny
instrumental zenem zenami
locative zenie zenach
vocative zenie zeny

This word is indeclinable when used as a neuter noun.

Further reading edit

  • zen in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • zen in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese edit

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

zen m (uncountable)

  1. Zen
    1. (religion) denomination of Buddhism
    2. (informal) philosophy

Adjective edit

zen (invariable)

  1. zen
    1. (religion) pertaining to the Zen denomination of Buddhism
    2. (informal) extremely relaxing
  2. (informal, of a person) calm, peaceful, not easily angered

Spanish edit

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): (Spain) /ˈθen/ [ˈθẽn]
  • IPA(key): (Latin America) /ˈsen/ [ˈsẽn]
  • Rhymes: -en
  • Syllabification: zen

Adjective edit

zen (invariable)

  1. zen

Noun edit

zen m (uncountable)

  1. zen

Further reading edit

Volapük edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from German Zinder, French cendre and English cinder.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

zen (nominative plural zens)

  1. ash, cinder
    • 1952, Epistle to the Hebrews, 9.13,14, translated by Arie de Jong.
      If ya blud toras e hikaparas, e zen kunüla, kel pagifülon ad klinükön koapi, saludükon profenanis,
      vio mödikumo blud Kristusa, kel ededietom oki dub Lanal laidüpik nenmiotädiko Gode, oklinükon konsieni obsik de vobots deadik, ad kultön Godi liföl.
      If the blood of bulls and billies, and the ashes of heifers, which is sprinkled to clean the body, already sanctifies profane people,
      how much more will the blood of Christ, who gave himself unblemished to God because of the eternal Spirit, clean our conscience from dead deeds to worship the living God.

Declension edit

declension of zen
singular plural
nominative zen zens
genitive zena zenas
dative zene zenes
accusative zeni zenis
vocative 1 o zen! o zens!
predicative 2 zenu zenus
  • 1 status as a case is disputed
  • 2 in later, non-classical Volapük only
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