zek

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English

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Etymology

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From Russian зэ́к (zɛ́k), probably representing a pronunciation of з/к (z/k), Soviet abbreviation of заключённый каналоармеец (zaključónnyj kanaloarmejec, prisoner member of the [White Sea–Baltic] Canal army).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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zek (plural zeks)

  1. A prisoner at a Russian prison, especially (historical) at a Soviet labour camp. [from 20th c.]
    • 1988, Natan Sharansky, translated by Stefani Hoffman, Fear No Evil, page 235:
      Every prisoner who recants is a potential influence on other zeks to do likewise.
    • 2004 February 8, Jason Burke, The Observer:
      There are the zeks, the survivors of the gulags, some honest about their experiences, others still deluded or traumatised decades later.

Anagrams

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Basque

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Noun

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zek

  1. ergative indefinite of ze

Breton

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Numeral

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zek

  1. Soft mutation of dek.

Wutunhua

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Noun

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zek

  1. alcohol

References

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  • Erika Sandman (2016) A Grammar of Wutun[1], University of Helsinki (PhD), →ISBN