zamboni
/zæmˈboʊ.ni/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.22 in modern English
20
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An ice resurfacing machine used to groom skating rinks, especially for professional use.
noun
Alternative letter-case form of Zamboni.
Example Sentences
- "For quotations using this term, see Citations:Zamboni."
- "I bet you a hundred bucks you can't drive the zamboni to the top of those stairs."
- "It's nice to see the zambonis are out freshening up the streets, so that the kids can ice-skate to school in northern Minnesota!"
- "A zamboni cuts away the top layer of ice (often 1/16th of an inch or less) using a sharp blade, much like a shaving razor."
Etymology
From the surname of the inventor, Frank J. Zamboni, and his brand of such machines. Zamboni was originally (and may still be) a trademark of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc.. Its use in the general sense is an example of trademark erosion. The surname itself is of Italian origin, as a northeastern dialectal variant (possibly Venetan) of Giambono, comprised of a reduced form of Gianni (from Giovanni (“John”)) + Bono or buono (“good”). Frank Zamboni's father originated from Arsio in Trentino, northern Italy.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: -
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /zæmˈboʊ.ni/
- British English: /zæmˈbəʊ.ni/