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zom·bie (zŏmbē)
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n.
1.
a. In voodoo belief and popular folklore, a corpse that has been reanimated, especially by means of a supernatural power or spell.
b. One who looks or behaves like an automaton.
c. A computer connected to the internet and controlled by a remote unauthorized user to perform malicious tasks, without the owner being aware.
2. A bank or business that cannot meet its financial obligations or make new loans but has been allowed to continue operating by the government.
3. A snake god of voodoo cults in West Africa, Haiti, and the southern United States.
4. A tall mixed drink made of various rums, liqueurs, and fruit juices.
[Louisiana French Creole and Haitian Creole zonbi and of Bantu origin; akin to Kimbundu nzúmbi, ghost, soul, spirit.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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