Dutch–English dictionary

zuinig beheren

(transitive) To conserve.

zuinigheid

The quality of being frugal; prudent economy.

zuipen

(transitive) To knock (someone or something) down; to cause to come down; to fell. [from 16th c.]

zuippartij

(countable, slang) A binge; a heavy drinking session.

zuipschuit

(colloquial) One who drinks alcohol habitually; a drunkard.

zuivel

(uncountable) (also dairy products or dairy produce) Products produced from milk.

zuivel-

(specifically) Referring to products produced from animal milk as opposed to non-milk substitutes.

zuiver

(figuratively) Free of guilt, or suspicion.

zuivere

(figurative) Pure; unadulterated; free from extraneous elements.

zuiveren

(transitive) To clean thoroughly; to rid of impurities; to cleanse.

zuivering

(archaic) Act of wiping clean; a cleansing; a purging. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]

zulk

(demonstrative) Like this, that, these, those; used to make a comparison with something implied by context.

zullen

Used before a verb to indicate the simple future tense in the first person singular or plural.

zult

(chiefly, British) Head cheese; a terrine made from the head of a pig or calf; originally boar's meat.

Zurich

The capital city of Zurich canton, Switzerland, on Lake Zurich.

zuring

Any of the genus Rumex of coarse weedy plants with small green flowers related to buckwheat, especially bitter dock (Rumex obtusifolius), and used as potherbs and in folk medicine, especially in curing nettle rash.

zurkel

Any of various plants with acidic leaves of the genus Rumex, especially

zus

A female member of a religious order; especially one devoted to more active service; (informally) a nun.

zuster

A female member of a religious order; especially one devoted to more active service; (informally) a nun.

zusterlijk

Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a sister or sisters; sisterlike, sisterly.

zusterschap

The quality of being sisterly; sisterly companionship; especially, the sense that women have of being in solidarity with one another.

zuur

(uncountable, slang) LSD, lysergic acid diethylamide.

zuurdesem

(obsolete) Leaven; an agent that makes dough rise.

zuurgraad

The quality or state of being acid.

zuurheid

Sourness; tartness; sharpness to the taste.

zuurkool

(countable, uncountable) A dish made by fermenting finely chopped cabbage.

zuurstof

The chemical element (symbol O) with an atomic number of 8 and relative atomic mass of 15.9994. It is a colorless and odorless gas.

zuurstofatoom

The chemical element (symbol O) with an atomic number of 8 and relative atomic mass of 15.9994. It is a colorless and odorless gas.

zuurstofvoorziening

The process of reacting or treating something with oxygen.

zuurte

The condition or quality of being sour.

zwaai

A dramatic gesture such as the waving of a flag.

zwaaien

(transitive) To move or swing a weapon back and forth, particularly if demonstrating anger, threat or skill.

zwaaier

One who waves their arms, or causes something to swing or wave.

Zwaan

(constellation) A summer constellation of the northern sky, said to resemble a swan. It includes the triple star system HD 188753 and the stars Deneb and Albireo.

zwaar

Needing or using up much energy; testing powers of endurance.

zwaardlelie

Any of several flowering plants, of the genus Gladiolus, having sword-shaped leaves and showy flowers on spikes; gladiola.

zwaardvechter

A person skilled at using swords in sport or combat; a fencer.

zwaardvis

Any species of game fish belonging to either of the genera Tetrapturus or Makaira, with a crested dorsal fin and a pointed, spear-like projection of the upper jaw.

zwaargewicht

(uncountable, boxing) The professional boxing weight class for boxers weighing more than 190 pounds; a boxer in that division.

zwaarheid

The state of being heavy; weight, weightiness, force of impact or gravity.

zwaarlijvigheid

(pathology) The state of being obese.

zwaarte

The state of being heavy; weight, weightiness, force of impact or gravity.

zwaartekracht

(physics) The fundamental force of attraction that exists between all matter in the universe, caused by the curvature of spacetime caused by matter. It is the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, and possesses a gauge boson known as the graviton.

zwaartepunt

The full adverse effects; the chief consequences or negative results of a thing or event.

zwaarwegend

Having a lot of weight; heavy.

zwabber

An implement for washing floors or similar, made of a piece of cloth, or a collection of thrums, or coarse yarn, fastened to a handle.

zwabberen, dweilen

(transitive) To use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab.

zwachtel

A strip of gauze or similar material used to protect or support a wound or injury.

zwak

Having a flaw or imperfection.

zwakheid

A weakness or failing of character.

zwakke plek

(figuratively) A weakness; a flaw or ambiguity.

zwakkeling

A person of weak or even sickly physical constitution.

zwakte

(uncountable) The condition quality of being frail, physically, mentally, or morally; weakness of resolution; liability to be deceived.

zwaluw

A small, migratory bird of the Hirundinidae family with long, pointed, moon-shaped wings and a forked tail which feeds on the wing by catching insects.

zwaluwbaardkoekoek

A swallow-winged puffbird (Chelidoptera tenebrosa)

zwam

(mycology) Any member of the kingdom Fungi; a eukaryotic organism typically having chitin cell walls but no chlorophyll or plastids. Fungi may be unicellular or multicellular.

zwammen

(ambitransitive) Often followed by on: to speak or write (something) at length without any clear aim or point; to ramble.

zwamp

An area of wet (water-saturated), spongy (soft) land, often with trees, generally a rich ecosystem for certain plants and animals but ill-suited for many agricultural purposes. (A type of wetland. Compare marsh, bog, fen.)

zwanenhals

A bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe arranged so that the liquid contents form a seal which prevents the escape of noxious gases, but permits the flow of liquids.

zwanger

(of egglaying animals, now, chiefly, metaphorically) Pregnant.

zwanger worden

(ambitransitive) To have a child; to become pregnant (with).

zwangerschap

The period of time this condition prevails.

zwangerschapsonderbreking

An induced abortion.

zwangerschapstijd

The period of time during which an animal or human offspring physically develops inside the mother's body until it is born.

zware

Difficult to understand, or poorly articulated.

zwart

(of an object) Absorbing all light and reflecting none; dark and hueless.

zwart gat

A place of punitive confinement; a lockup or cell; a military guardroom. [from 18th c.]

zwart water

Waste from domestic toilets; water containing fecal matter. [from 20th c.]

Zwartbaard

The archetypal pirate, who lived in the 17th and 18th centuries.

zwartdenker

Someone who habitually expects the worst outcome; one who looks on the dark side of things.

zwarte

(of an object) Absorbing all light and reflecting none; dark and hueless.

zwarte gans

(North American) Any of several wild geese, of the genus Branta, that breed in the Arctic, but especially the brent goose, Branta bernicla.

zwarte handel

The illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs.

zwarte lijst

(legal, computing) A list or set of people or entities to be shunned or banned, disallowed or blocked.

zwarte magie beoefenen

(intransitive, archaic) To practice black magic.

zwarte rat

A common species of rat, Rattus rattus, originating anciently in Asia but now distributed worldwide.

zwartmaken

To defame or sully.

zwartrugfluitvogel

A magpie-like black-and-white passerine bird of species Gymnorhina tibicen, native to Australia and southern New Guinea, and introduced to New Zealand, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands.

zwartwerken

To work on the side (at a secondary job), often in the evening or during the night.

zwartwerker

A person who moonlights, working a second job on the side.

zwavel

(uncountable) A chemical element (symbol S) with an atomic number of 16, having a bright yellow color and characteristic smell, used commercially in a variety of products such as insecticides, black powder, and matchsticks.

zwavelstokje

A device made of wood or paper, having the tip coated with chemicals that ignite with the friction of being dragged (struck) against a rough dry surface.

Zweden

A country in Scandinavia in Northern Europe. Official name: Kingdom of Sweden.

Zweed

A person from Sweden or of Swedish descent.

Zweeds

The language of Sweden and Åland (an autonomous part of Finland). Swedish is also one of the two official languages of Finland, spoken by 6% of the citizens. A very small minority in Estonia has Swedish as their mother tongue.

Zweedse

A person from Sweden or of Swedish descent.

zweefbaan

An enclosed car attached to a cable mechanically lifted up the side of a mountain; an enclosed ski lift; a cable car.

zweep

A lash; a pliant, flexible instrument, such as a rod (commonly of cane or rattan) or a plaited or braided rope or thong (commonly of leather) used to create a sharp "crack" sound for directing or herding animals.

zweepslag

(countable) The lash of a whip.

zweepslagen

(countable) The punishment of being whipped.

zweer

(figurative) Anything that festers and corrupts like an open sore; a vice in character.

zweet

The action or process of perspiring.

Zweinstein

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a school for learning magic in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.

zwelgpartij

(in the plural) The festival of Bacchus; the bacchanalia.

zwellen

To swell out or bulge.

zwelling

(printing) A printing defect caused by foreign matter on the printing surface resulting in a ring where the ink is missing, appearing as a spot of ink surrounded by a halo, or as an unprinted spot within a solid printed area.

zwembandje

(swimming) One of a pair of inflatable plastic bands, normally worn on the upper arms, to help the wearer (often a child) float in water and learn to swim.

zwemmen

An act or instance of swimming.

zwemmer

One who swims.

zwemster

One who swims.

zwemvleugeltje

(swimming) One of a pair of inflatable plastic bands, normally worn on the upper arms, to help the wearer (often a child) float in water and learn to swim.

zwemvlies

A device worn by divers and swimmers on their feet.

zwendel

(legal, business) The fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner.

zwendelaar

A person who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things; a criminal.

zwendelaarster

A person who swindles, cheats or defrauds.

zwendelen

(ambitransitive) To cheat or swindle; to use crafty, deceitful methods. (often with "out of" preceding the object)

zwengel

A bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an attached arm perpendicular, or nearly so, to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation to a wheel or other mechanical device; also used to change circular into reciprocating motion, or reciprocating into circular motion.

zwengelen

(intransitive, dated) To run with a winding course; to double; to crook; to wind and turn.

zwenken

(transitive) To veer a vehicle.

zweren

(ambitransitive) To make a vow; to promise.

zwerflust

A strong impulse or longing to travel.

zwerfster

(informal) A homeless woman who carries her possessions with her in bags.

Zwerkbal

A fictional ball game played between two teams of seven players riding flying broomsticks, using four balls and six elevated ring-shaped goals.

zwerm

(collective) A small group of persons, especially of girls and women.

zwermen

(intransitive) To teem, or be overrun with insects, people, etc.

zwermer

One who wanders, who travels aimlessly.

zwerven

To wander from any line prescribed, or from a rule or duty; to depart from what is established by law, duty, custom, or the like; to deviate.

zwervend

Moving about; having no fixed or permanent abode; travelling from place to place.

zwerver

(North America) A wandering homeless person, especially (historical) one illegally travelling by rail or (pejorative) a penniless, unemployed bum.

zweten

(intransitive, figuratively) To suffer under uncomfortably hot conditions.

zwetsen

(intransitive) To talk idly.

zweven

(transitive) To cause to drift gently through the air, to waft.

zweving

The interference between two tones of almost equal frequency

zwezerik

The pancreas or thymus gland of an animal, especially a lamb or calf, as food.

zwichten

To give way to (a habit or temptation); to not oppose or restrain.

zwier

(uncountable, figurative) Flamboyance, energetic style or action.

zwieren

(intransitive) To rotate about an off-centre fixed point.

zwijgen

To refrain from speaking; to say nothing. (This entry is a translation hub.)

zwijgend

Not speaking; indisposed to talk; speechless; mute; taciturn; not loquacious; not talkative.

zwijgzaam

Uncommunicative; unwilling or hesitant to give information.

zwijmelen

(by extension) To be overwhelmed by emotion, especially infatuation.

zwijn

Any animal belonging to the Suidae family of mammals, especially the pig, the warthog, and the boar.

zwijnenstal

An enclosure where pigs are kept, either a building or part of one.

zwik

(slang, vulgar) The penis.

zwingel

(countable) A wooden implement shaped like a large knife used to separate the valuable fibres of flax or hemp by beating them and scraping from it the woody or coarse portions.

zwingelen

To separate the woody fibre from (flax, hemp, etc.) by beating; to swingle.

Zwitser

Of, from, or pertaining to Switzerland or the Swiss people.

Zwitserland

A country in Western Europe and Central Europe. Official name: Swiss Confederation. Capital: Bern (de facto).

Zwitsers

Of, from, or pertaining to Switzerland or the Swiss people.

Zwitserse

(countable) A person from Switzerland or of Swiss descent.

zwoegen

(intransitive, informal) To work hard.

zwoel

Sexually seductive.

zygote

(cytology, also, attributive) A eukaryotic cell formed from the fusion of two gametes during a fertilization process. [from late 19th c.]