/zel"euht/ , n.
1. a person who shows zeal.
2. an excessively zealous person; fanatic.
3. ( cap. ) a member of a radical, warlike, ardently patriotic group of Jews in Judea, particularly prominent from A.D. 69 to 81, advocating the violent overthrow of Roman rule and vigorously resisting the efforts of the Romans and their supporters to heathenize the Jews.
[ 1530-40; earlier zelote zelotes zelótes, equiv. to zelo- (var. s. of zeloûn to be zealous; see ZEAL) + -tes agent suffix ]
Syn. 2. extremist, crank, bigot. See fanatic .