n.
Pronunciation: ' ze-l ə t
Function: noun
Etymology: Late Latin zelotes, from Greek z ē l ō t ē s, from z ē los
Date: 1537
1 capitalized : a member of a fanatical sect arising in Judea during the first century A.D. and militantly opposing the Roman domination of Palestine
2 : a zealous person especially : a fanatical partisan <a religious zealot >