FreeScrabbleDictionary

zilch

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
19
Words With Friends
20
Letters
5
Pronunciation
/zɪlt͡ʃ/

Definition of zilch

5 senses · 4 parts of speech · etymology included

noun

  1. (archaic, countable, informal)A nobody: a person who is worthless in importance or character.
    “President Henry P. Zilch. Chairman of the Board Charles D. Zilch. Treasurer Otto Zilch.”
    “Bernarr MacZilch [for Bernarr Macfadden] and His Dynamic-Hooey System... The WEAKLING Who Became 'The World's Most Perfect Ass!'”
    “Dinglegoofer, Mr. Zilch, indefinite nicknames.”
See all 5 definitions

noun

  1. (archaic, countable, informal)A nobody: a person who is worthless in importance or character.
    “President Henry P. Zilch. Chairman of the Board Charles D. Zilch. Treasurer Otto Zilch.”
    “Bernarr MacZilch [for Bernarr Macfadden] and His Dynamic-Hooey System... The WEAKLING Who Became 'The World's Most Perfect Ass!'”
    “Dinglegoofer, Mr. Zilch, indefinite nicknames.”
  2. (informal, uncountable)Nothing, zero.
    “Her search for decent home-made winter clothes came up with zilch, so she had to get imported stuff.”
    “"If the homeless wind up with zilch," James retorted, veiling his indignation behind a malevolent smile, "it's because they deserve zilch."”

adj

  1. (US, informal, not-comparable)No, zero, non-existent.
    “Zilch, adj. Nothing, zero...”
    “...gorgeous faces but zilch talent...”

verb

  1. (US, informal)To cause to score nothing, to thoroughly defeat.
    “We zilched them on that rubber.”
    “My favorite film of 1989 got zilched... That would be Field of Dreams.”

name

  1. A surname from German.

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

Probably from Joe Zilch, a placeholder name (compare John Doe) used by Nunnally Johnson in his column in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle from 1923; in turn from Joe Zilch, an unseen character referenced in comedian Frank Tinney's stage routine. Compare the rare German surname Zilch.

Words you can make from zilch

6 playable · top: LICH (9 pts)

Best play lich 9 points

3-letter words

3 words

2-letter words

2 words

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