Added 9 October 2026
zilch
/zɪlt͡ʃ/ noun
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about zilch at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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A quantity of no importance.
it looked like nothing I had ever seen before
Origin
Probably from Joe Zilch, a placeholder name (compare John Doe) used by Nunnally Johnson in his column in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle from 1923; in turn from Joe Zilch, an unseen character referenced in comedian Frank Tinney's stage routine. Compare the rare German surname Zilch.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)