noun
Zulu
ZOO-loo
noun
1
A member of the Zulu people, a Bantu ethnic group centred in the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa.
"Her grandmother was Zulu and taught her the traditional songs."
"The museum exhibit told the history of the Zulu kingdom under Shaka."
2
The Zulu language, isiZulu, spoken by millions of people in southern Africa.
"He grew up speaking Zulu at home and English at school."
3
In military and aviation use, a codeword for the time zone at the prime meridian (UTC), often written as a 'Z' after a time.
"The flight plan listed the departure time as 1400 Zulu."
adjective
1
Relating to the Zulu people, their culture, or their language.
"The dancers wore traditional Zulu dress for the ceremony."
How to Use Zulu
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishZulu can mean the South African people and their language, or, in radio and aviation jargon, it's just shorthand for UTC time.
Common mistake
In aviation/military contexts "Zulu time" simply means UTC — it has nothing to do with the Zulu people or language.
Common pairings
Zulu time
Zulu language
Zulu warrior
Zulu nation
Word Forms
Zulu plural, Zulus plural
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Etymology
From the Zulu people's own name for themselves, uMzulu, historically linked to a royal ancestor and traditionally said to relate to a word for "sky" or "heaven."