English word origin

Etymology of zzzs

From zzz, a cartoon depiction of snoring; compare zs.

1 source sectionBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗

noun

Sleep.

verb

third-person singular simple present indicative of zzz

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From zzz, a cartoon depiction of snoring; compare zs.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "links": [
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    ],
    [
      "zs",
      "zs#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Sleep."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "plural",
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        "slang"
      ],
      "recordId": "5b84991486e46efba4460be03ceeda60d038f56a5ea9395db08bc5b77fdfaed4",
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1907968
    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "third-person singular simple present indicative of zzz"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "form-of",
        "indicative",
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ],
      "recordId": "b1dba6d4388970bfc2db9f1c1190d9d1baf40e9e58f78057376920906700d014",
      "rawRecordSha256": "624a720287e973e2fea74fce0bbfeee7a092e46931ae9349cf70b11ff153b200",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1907969
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for zzzs →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-enp6cw