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Try and pronounce the last word in the Oxford Dictionary

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Have you ever looked to see what the final word in the Dictionary is?

Up until now the Oxford English Dictionary ended with “zythum”, which referred to an ancient Egyptian malt beer.

That’s no longer the case. The dictionary just announced several new additions to its vast pages, including “zyzzyva”, which now has the unique distinction of being the dictionary’s last word.

It’s a noun, pronounced “zih-zih-vah” and defined as “a genus of tropical weevils native to South America and typically found on or near palm trees.”

A weevil is a sort of beetle, generally small and herbivorous. The most familiar is a small brown variety referred to as a rice weevil. As its nickname suggests, these are often found in stored rice.

It’s unlikely you’d find a Zyzzyvain in your home. The insect was discovered in Brazil in 1922 by Irish entomologist Thomas Lincoln Casey, who gave it the strange name.

8 Responses

  1. you made a mistake it says
    “It’s unlikely you’d find Zyzzyvain your home.”
    this is what it’s meant to be “It’s unlikely you’d find Zyzzyva in your home. “

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