different between zek vs eek

English

Etymology

From Russian ???? (z??k), probably representing a pronunciation of ?/? (z/k), Soviet abbreviation of ??????????? (zaklju?ónnyj, “prisoner”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /z?k/

Noun

zek (plural zeks)

1. A prisoner at a Russian prison, especially (historical) at a Soviet labour camp. [from 20th c.]
   • 1988, Stefani Hoffman, translating Natan Sharansky, Fear No Evil, p. 235:

     Every prisoner who recants is a potential influence on other zeks to do likewise.

   • 2004, Jason Burke, The Observer, 8 Feb 2004:

     There are the zeks, the survivors of the gulags, some honest about their experiences, others still deluded or traumatised decades later.

Anagrams

• Kez

Basque

Noun

zek

1. ergative indefinite of ze

Breton

Numeral

zek

1. Soft mutation of dek.

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: ?k, IPA^(key): /i?k/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ik/
• Homophone: eke
• Rhymes: -i?k

Etymology 1

Imitative; compare eep.

Interjection

eek

1. (onomatopoeia) Representing a scream or shriek (especially in comic strips and books).

2. (onomatopoeia) Expressing (sometimes mock) fear or surprise.

3. (onomatopoeia) Representing the shrill vocal sound of a mouse, rat, or monkey.

Translations

Verb

eek (third-person singular simple present eeks, present participle eeking, simple past and past participle eeked)

1. (onomatopoeia) To produce a high-pitched squeal, as in fear or trepidation.
   • 2009, Paul Gelder, Yachting Monthly's Further Confessions

     She was dangling the mouse by its tail, but as it tried to arch upwards and bite, she started to jig about wildly […] The anglers had watched a beautiful young woman dance naked beneath a full moon to the feverish rhythm of unworldly eeking noises!

   • 2011, Isaac E. Washington, The Stars in My Dreams (page 106)

     We saw a frog and she eeked in terror again from the sight of it hopping near her.

Etymology 2

Clipping of ecaf (“face”), from face via backslang.

Noun

eek (plural eeks)

1. (Polari) Face

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:countenance

Etymology 3

Adverb

eek (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) also
   • c. 1387: Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales ("General Prologue")

     Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth / Inspired hath in every holt and heeth / The tendre croppes

Anagrams

• Kee, eke, kee

Atong (India)

Etymology

From Hindi ?? (ek).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /e?k/

Numeral

eek (Bengali script ???)

1. one

Synonyms

• sa
• rongsa
• wan

References

• van Breugel, Seino. 2015. Atong-English dictionary, second edition. Available online: https://www.academia.edu/487044/Atong_English_Dictionary. Stated in Appendix 3.

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch eec. Doublet of eik (“oak”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /e?k/
• Hyphenation: eek
• Rhymes: -e?k

Noun

eek f (plural eken, diminutive eekje n)

1. oak bark

Synonyms

• eikenschors

Middle English

Adverb

eek

1. Alternative form of ek
   • 14th c. Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales. General Prologue: 5-6.

     Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth

     Inspired hath in every holt and heeth