zaftig

adjective

zaf·​tig ˈzäf-tig How to pronounce zaftig (audio) ˈzȯf- How to pronounce zaftig (audio)
variants or less commonly zoftig
of a woman
: having a full rounded figure : pleasingly plump

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Zaftig Has Yiddish Origins

Zaftig is one of a number of Yiddish-derived words that entered the English language during the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. It comes from Yiddish zaftik, which means "juicy" or "succulent" and itself derives from zaft, meaning "juice" or "sap."

Examples of zaftig in a Sentence

The actress playing the lead role was a zaftig blonde.

Word History

Etymology

Yiddish zaftik juicy, succulent, from zaft juice, sap, from Middle High German saf, saft, from Old High German saf — more at sap

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of zaftig was in 1926

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Dictionary Entries Near zaftig

Cite this Entry

“Zaftig.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zaftig. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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