A sound effect. Popularized by the Usenet Oracle, a humorous Internet advice service, where the word was used as an irritated dismissal of a question.
Meanings
(slang, transitive) To zap, kill, or destroy.
electric fence - zotting me was fine (well really!) but they were worried about zotting the several dozen human puppies that hang around at our house. 1998, RosieDawg, “watergardening and dogs and Rosie's new toy, OT-ish”, in rec.ponds (Usenet):
I reached for the handle and it zotted me — an electric shock to the elbow. 1980, Kit Reed, Magic time:
When a taxi driver, convenience store clerk, pizza deliverer, etc., gets zotted, it is on the back page of the local newspaper and not in out of town newspapers at all. 1997, Terry Moore, “COPS PUT LIVES ON LINE?”, in austin.general (Usenet):
I've heard rumors about the oracle zotting people and I have these questions about zot? 1997, Matt Lepinski, “Zotting”, in rec.humor.oracle.d (Usenet):
Sound effect in the comic strip B.C., first published in 1958, associated with both (1) the rapid tongue of an anteater character and (2) lightning bolts.
Meanings
(US) The characteristic sound made by an anteater's tongue or by lightning.
zot en · NOUN · etymology 2
Etymology
Sound effect in the comic strip B.C., first published in 1958, associated with both (1) the rapid tongue of an anteater character and (2) lightning bolts.
Meanings
(US, slang) An anteater.
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zots
Number=Plur
lexicographic
zot en · NOUN · etymology 3
Meanings
(South-Africa, Zimbabwe, derogatory, ethnic, offensive, slur) A black person.
Regretfully there is nothing that can be done about things .. just a time bomb ticking, ticking, ticking .. until one day soon, the zots will decide to take a property here, and a property there (they have after all started with vacant land and been successful), so why not progress to property? 2000 April 9, Squirrel, “SA Silence on Mugabe's actions”, in soc.culture.south-africa (Usenet):
(SA) ¶ The government has TACITLY condoned the actions of the zots by allowing them to continue their illegal occupation.
(Zimbabwe) ¶ The government condoned the illegal activities and progressed to the point where they were actively supporting it. 2000 October 29, Nude Raider, “Here are the facts...”, in soc.culture.south-africa (Usenet):
The zots will destroy the barns, the homesteads, the tractors, everything - reducing them to their component parts without the aid of explosives. 2002 July 5, Alistair, “Re: Tobacco barn and other assets- disassembly instructions”, in soc.culture.zimbabwe (Usenet):