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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

zipperhead en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

Etymology

From zipper + head, in reference to the leather helmets used by early Canadian armoured crewmen, which had zipper-like stitching.

Meanings

  1. (Canada, slang) A soldier in the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps or in the Armoured Crewman military trade.

Forms

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zipperheads Number=Plur lexicographic

Synonyms

trooper · tanker · crewman · treadhead · tread-head · armoured crewman · armoured soldier

zipperhead en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

Etymology

Coined by US soldiers during the Vietnam War, apparently from zipper + head. The semantic motivation is unclear. One theory is that the Vietnamese were so called because their heads would split open in zipper-like fashion if they were shot in the right way; another is that zipper-like tracks would be left on them if they were run over by jeeps or tanks.

Meanings

  1. (US, derogatory, ethnic, offensive, slang, slur) A person of East Asian descent.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
zipperheads Number=Plur lexicographic

Synonyms

chicken lips · zipperlid · gook · almond eyes · dink · slopehead · slant eye