Zicke

German

Etymology

From Middle High German zickīn, from Old High German zickīn (“kid”), from Proto-Germanic *tikkīną (compare Old English tiċċen (“kid”)), from Proto-Indo-European *digós (“goat”), genitive of *díks. Cognate with obsolete English tick (“a goat”). More at Ziege.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡sɪkə/

• Audio:

  (file)

• 1996: Zi‧cke, pre-1996: Zik‧ke

Noun

Zicke f (genitive Zicke, plural Zicken, diminutive Zicklein n)

1. she-goat, nanny goat

   Synonyms: (regional) Geiß, Ziege

2. (informal, derogatory) a touchy, fractious or difficult person (usually, but not necessarily, female)

Derived terms

• rumzicken (verb)
• zickig (adjective)
• Zickenalarm
• Zimtzicke

Related terms

• Ricke
• Ziege

Further reading

• “Zicke” in Duden online