zeta

Etymology

From the Ancient Greek ζῆτα (zêta). Doublet of zed.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈziː.tə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈzeɪtə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːtə, -eɪtə

Noun

zeta (plural zetas)

2. The sixth letter of the modern Greek alphabet (Ζ (Z), ζ (z)) preceded by epsilon (Ε (E), ε (e)) and followed by eta, (Η (I), η (i)); or the seventh letter in the ancient Greek alphabet, in which it is preceded by digamma (Ϝ (W), ϝ (w))
3. (mathematics) A mathematical function formally known as the Riemann zeta function.

   Zeta of 3 is irrational

Anagrams

• zate

Alternative forms

• ceta

Etymology

From the Ancient Greek ζῆτα (zêta).

Noun

zeta f (plural zetes)

1. The name of the Latin-script letter Z/z.
2. zeta (Greek letter)

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eta, -a
• Hyphenation: ze‧ta

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish zeta.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Latin saeta (“bristle, silk”).

Further reading

• “zeta”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language]
• “zeta”, in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], Euskaltzaindia, 1987–2005

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ζῆτα (zêta).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [ˈzɛ.tə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [ˈze.tə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈze.ta]

Noun

zeta f (plural zetes)

1. The name of the Latin-script letter Z/z.
2. the Greek letter Ζ (lowercase ζ)

Further reading

• “zeta” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “zeta”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025.
• “zeta” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “zeta” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Etymology

From the Ancient Greek ζῆτα (zêta).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtsetɑ/, [ˈts̠e̞t̪ɑ̝]
• IPA^(key): /ˈzetɑ/, [ˈze̞t̪ɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -etɑ
• Hyphenation^(key): ze‧ta

Noun

zeta

1. The name of the Latin-script letter Z/z.

Alternative forms

• ceta

Etymology

From the Ancient Greek ζῆτα (zêta).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

zeta m (plural zetas)

1. zee/zed (name of the letter Z, z)

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

zeta

1. The name of the Latin-script letter Z/z.

Alternative forms

• seta

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɛːta/
• Rhymes: -ɛːta
• Homophone: seta

Noun

zeta f (genitive singular zetu, nominative plural zetur)

1. The name of the Latin-script letter Z/z.
2. zeta (Greek letter)

Etymology

From the Latin zēta, from Ancient Greek ζῆτα (zêta), from Hebrew זין (zayin).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): ^*/ˈd͡zɛ.ta/
• Rhymes: -ɛta
• Hyphenation: zè‧ta

Noun

zeta m or f (invariable)

1. The name of the Latin-script letter Z/z.; zed, zee
2. the name of the Greek script letter Ζ/ζ; zeta

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈzeː.ta/, [ˈz̪eːt̪ä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ze.ta/, [ˈd̪͡z̪ɛːt̪ä]

Etymology 1

From the Ancient Greek ζῆτα (zêta).

Etymology 2

In third- and fourth-century writings of the Late Latin period, Z often represented word-initial prevocalic di.

Alternative forms

• dzeta (uncommon)

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ζῆτα (zêta).

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ze‧ta

Noun

zeta m (plural zetas)

1. zeta (name of the Greek letter Ζ, ζ)

See also

• zê

Etymology

Borrowed from French zèta.

Noun

zeta m (plural zeta)

1. zeta

Etymology 1

From the Ancient Greek ζῆτα (zêta).

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /ˈθeta/ [ˈθe.t̪a]
• IPA^(key): (Latin America, Philippines) /ˈseta/ [ˈse.t̪a]

• Audio (Spain):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eta
• Syllabification: ze‧ta
• Homophone: (Latin America) seta

Etymology 1

From Old Spanish ceda, from Latin zēta or its etymon, Ancient Greek ζῆτα (zêta).

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Ancient Greek θῆτα (thêta).

Further reading

• “zeta”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish zeta, the Spanish name of the letter Z/z, from Latin zēta or Ancient Greek ζῆτα (zêta).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈzeta/ [ˈzɛː.t̪ɐ]
  • IPA^(key): (more native-sounding) /ˈseta/ [ˈsɛː.t̪ɐ]
• Rhymes: -eta
• Syllabification: ze‧ta

Noun

zeta (Baybayin spelling ᜐᜒᜆ) (historical)

1. the name of the Latin-script letter Z/z, in the Abecedario

   Synonym: (in the Filipino alphabet) zi