name · noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/zaɪˈɪə/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:/zɑːˈɪəɹ/
US:/ˈzɑːɪɹ/
rhymes with -ɪə(ɹ)
Australian:/zaɪˈeː/
/ˌzɑˈɪə(ɹ)/
/ˌzaɪˈɪə(ɹ)/
CMU ARPABET:Z AY0 IH1 R
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
name
Meaning 1
Former name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a country in Central Africa; used from 1971–1997.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
name
Meaning 2
Synonym of Congo (major river in Central Africa)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Congo
Antonyms: none provided
3
name
Meaning 3
A province of Angola, named after the river
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
The unit of currency of Zaire from 1967 to 1998.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
a republic in central Africa; achieved independence from Belgium in 1960
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Belgian Congo
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: African country, African nation
6
noun
Meaning 6
the basic unit of money in Zaire
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: Zairese monetary unit
History
Etymology
Truncation of Kongo nzadi o nzere (“river swallowing rivers”) which refers to the Congo river; adopted in accordance with the Authenticity Movement.
Borrowed from French zaïre. Named after the Zaire River, another name for the Congo River.
Across languages
Translations
46 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
زَئِير
(zaʔīr)
— former name of DR of Congo
Arabic:
زَائِير
(zāʔīr)
— former name of DR of Congo
Armenian:
Զաիր
(Zair)
— former name of DR of Congo
Bengali:
জায়ার
(jaẏar)
— former name of DR of Congo
Bulgarian:
Заи́р
(Zaír)
— former name of DR of Congo
Catalan:
Zaire
— former name of DR of Congo
Chinese Mandarin:
扎伊爾
(Zhāyī'ěr)
— former name of DR of Congo
Chinese Mandarin:
薩伊 /萨伊
(Sàyī)
— former name of DR of Congo
Czech:
Zair
— former name of DR of Congo
Danish:
Zaire
— former name of DR of Congo
Dutch:
Zaïre
— former name of DR of Congo
Estonian:
Zaire
— former name of DR of Congo
Estonian:
Sair
— former name of DR of Congo
Faroese:
Sair
— former name of DR of Congo
Finnish:
Zaire
— former name of DR of Congo
French:
Zaïre
— former name of DR of Congo
Galician:
Zaire
— former name of DR of Congo
Georgian:
ზაირი
(zairi)
— former name of DR of Congo
German:
Zaire
— former name of DR of Congo
Greek:
Ζαΐρ
(Zaḯr)
— former name of DR of Congo
Hausa:
Zàyâr̃
— former name of DR of Congo
Hebrew:
זאיר
(za'ír)
— former name of DR of Congo
Hindi:
ज़ायर
(zāyar)
— former name of DR of Congo
Irish:
An tSáír
— former name of DR of Congo
Italian:
Zaire
— former name of DR of Congo
Japanese:
ザイール
(Zaīru)
— former name of DR of Congo
Korean:
자이르
(Jaireu)
— former name of DR of Congo
Lithuanian:
Zairas
— former name of DR of Congo
Maltese:
iż-Zaire
— former name of DR of Congo
Norwegian Bokmål:
Zaire
— former name of DR of Congo
Persian:
زئیر
(zair)
— former name of DR of Congo
Polish:
Zair
— former name of DR of Congo
Portuguese:
Zaire
— former name of DR of Congo
Romanian:
Zair
— former name of DR of Congo
Russian:
Заи́р
(Zaír)
— former name of DR of Congo
Serbo-Croatian:
Заир
— former name of DR of Congo
Serbo-Croatian:
Zair
— former name of DR of Congo
Spanish:
Zaire
— former name of DR of Congo
Swedish:
Zaire
— former name of DR of Congo
Thai:
ซาอีร์
(saa-ii)
— former name of DR of Congo
Turkish:
Zaire
— former name of DR of Congo
Ukrainian:
Заїр
(Zajir)
— former name of DR of Congo
Uyghur:
زايىر
(zayir)
— former name of DR of Congo
