Online Etymology Dictionary

Ziegfeld: in reference to showgirls or stage revues, 1913, from Florenz Ziegfeld (1869-1932), U.S. theatrical producer, who staged annual "follies" from 1907-1931.
zig (v.): 1969, from zigzag.
zig-zag (n.): also zigzag, 1712, from French zigzag (1670s), perhaps from German Zickzack (though this is attested only from 1703), possibly a reduplication of Zacke "tooth, prong." Earliest use in German is in reference to military siege approaches. Originally in English used to describe the layout of certain garden paths. As an adjective from 1750; the verb is recorded from 1774. The brand of cigarette paper is from 1909. Related: Zig-zagged; zig-zagging.
ziggurat (n.): also zikkurat, 1858, from Assyrian ziqquratu "height, pinnacle," from zaqaru "to be high."
Zika (n.): virus, by 1952, discovered 1947 and named for the Zika Forest of Uganda, where it was first found.
zilch (n.): "nothing," 1957; "insignificant person," 1933, from use of Zilch as a generic comical-sounding surname for an insignificant person (especially Joe Zilch). There was a Mr. Zilch (1931), comic character in the magazine "Ballyhoo," and the use perhaps originated c. 1922 in U.S. college or theater slang. Probably a nonsense syllable, suggestive of the end of the alphabet, but Zilch is an actual German surname of Slavic origin.
The [Cadence] agency aims to have each album cover actually promote the record, on the theory that "the day of pretty, boffy, zoomy and zingy covers for the sake of zilch is no more." ["Billboard," Oct. 28, 1957]
zillion (n.): 1942, arbitrary coinage with no definite numerical value; first recorded in "Billboard."
Zimbabwe: southern African nation, 1980, named for an ancient city there, from Bantu zimba we bahwe "houses of stones," from zimba, plural of imba "house" + bahwe "stones." Previously known as Rhodesia (1964-80). Related: Zimbabwean.
zinc (n.): 1650s, zinke, from German Zink, perhaps related to Zinke "prong, point;" said to have been used first by Paracelsus (c. 1526) on analogy of the form of its crystals after smelting. Zinke is from Old High German zint "a point, jag," from Proto-Germanic *teng- "tine" (source also of Old Norse tindr "point, top, summit," Old English tind "prong, spike"), from PIE *denk- "to bite." Spelling with -c- is from 1813, from French influence.
zine (n.): 1965, short for fanzine.
zinfandel (n.): 1896, "red or white dry California wine," origin uncertain; used earlier as the name of the grape from which it was made (1880). The wine itself is said to have been known in U.S. since 1829. Some wine experts suggest a corruption of the Austrian grape name Zierfandler, though these grapes are not related to those of zinfandel. See this article:
The similarity in the names Zinfandel and Zierfandler arouses some speculation. Modern vine identification systems did not yet exist in 1829, so it is conceivable that the cuttings George Gibbs imported to the USA had never been correctly identified in Austria.
zing (n.): 1911, "high pitched sound," of echoic origin. Slang meaning "energy, zest" is attested from 1918. Verb is from 1920; meaning "to deliver a stinging witticism or retort" is by 1975.
zinger (n.): "cruel quip," 1970, from zing + -er (1). Earlier it was baseball slang for "fastball" (by 1957).
zinnia (n.): genus of herbs of the aster family, 1767, from Modern Latin (Linnæus, 1763), named for German botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn (1729-1759) + abstract noun ending -ia.
Zion: late Old English Sion, from Greek Seon, from Hebrew Tsiyon, name of a Canaanite hill fortress in Jerusalem captured by David and called in the Bible "City of David." It became the center of Jewish life and worship.
Zionism (n.): "movement for forming (later supporting) a Jewish national state in Palestine," 1896, from German Zionismus (from Zion + Latin-derived suffix -ismus; see -ism); first recorded 1886 in "Selbstemancipation," by "Matthias Acher" (pseudonym of Nathan Birnbaum (1864-1937)).
Zionist: 1896 (adj. and noun), from Zion + -ist.
zip (v.1): "move rapidly," 1852, of echoic origin. Meaning "close with a zipper" is from 1932. Related: Zipped; zipping.
zip (n.2): "zero," 1900, student slang for a grade of zero on a test, etc.; of unknown origin; compare zilch.
zip (v.2): "to close or fasten by means of a zipper," 1932, back-formation from zipper (n.). Related: Zipped; zipping; zipless.
ZIP (adj.): 1963, in U.S. postal ZIP code, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, no doubt chosen with conscious echo of zip (v.1).
zip (n.1): "sound of something moving rapidly," 1875, imitative. Zip gun "homemade pistol" first recorded 1950.
zipper (n.): 1925, probably an agent noun from zip (v.1). The trademark taken out on the name that year applied to a boot with zippers, not to the "lightning fastener" itself, which was so called by 1927.
Zippo (n.): proprietary name of a brand of cigarette lighter, patented 1934 by Zippo Manufacturing Co., Bradford, Pa.
zippy (adj.): 1904, from zip (n.) "energy, force" (1900, from zip (v.1)) + -y (2).
zircon (n.): 1794, circon, also jargon, new name given in chemistry to jacinth, from French zircone and German Zirkon (compare French jargon, Italian giargone), from Arabic zarqun "cinnabar, bright red," from Persian zargun "gold-colored," from Avestan zari- "gold-colored," from zar "gold."
zirconium (n.): metallic chemical element, 1808, coined in Modern Latin by German chemist and mineralogist Martin Heinrich Klaproth (1743-1817) in 1789; so called because it was found in zircon.
zit (n.): "acne pimple," 1966, originally U.S. teenager slang, of unknown origin.
zither (n.): stringed musical instrument, 1850, from German Zither, from Old High German zitara, from Latin cithara, from Greek kithara (see guitar).
ziti (n.): type of tubular pasta, plural of zita (1845), from Italian, said to be a dialect word for "bridegroom."
zloty (n.): monetary unit of Poland, 1842, from Polish złoty, literally "of gold," from złoto "gold," related to Russian zoloto, Czech zlato "gold" (see gold).
zoa (n.): plural of zoon (q.v.).
zoanthropy (n.): form of insanity in which a man imagines himself to be another type of beast, 1845, from French zoanthrope or directly from Modern Latin zoanthropia, from Greek zoion "animal" (see zoo) + anthropos "man" (see anthropo-).
zodiac (n.): late 14c., from Old French zodiaque, from Latin zodiacus "zodiac," from Greek zodiakos (kyklos) "zodiac (circle)," literally "circle of little animals," from zodiaion, diminutive of zoion "animal" (see zoo).

Libra is not an animal, but it was not a zodiac constellation to the Greeks, who reckoned 11 but counted Scorpio and its claws (including what is now Libra) as a "double constellation." Libra was figured back in by the Romans. In Old English the zodiac was twelf tacna "the twelve signs," and in Middle English also Our Ladye's Waye and the Girdle of the Sky.
zodiacal (adj.): 1570s, from zodiac + -al (1).
Zoe: fem. proper name, Greek, literally "life" (see zoo-).
zoetrope (n.): "optical instrument which exhibits pictures as if alive and in action," 1867, literally "wheel of life," from Greek zoe "life" (see zoo-) + trope "turn" (see trope).
Zohar (n.): Jewish mystical commentary on the Pentateuch, 1680s, Hebrew, literally "light, splendor."
zoic (adj.): "pertaining to animal life," 1863, from Greek zoikos, from zoion "animal" (see zoo-).
zollverein (n.): 1843, from German Zollverein, literally "customs union," from Zoll "toll" (see toll (n.)) + Verein "union," from vereinen "to unite," from ver- + ein "one" (see one).
zombie (n.): 1871, of West African origin (compare Kikongo zumbi "fetish;" Kimbundu nzambi "god"), originally the name of a snake god, later with meaning "reanimated corpse" in voodoo cult. But perhaps also from Louisiana creole word meaning "phantom, ghost," from Spanish sombra "shade, ghost." Sense "slow-witted person" is recorded from 1936.
zonal (adj.): 1839, from Late Latin zonalis, from Latin zona (see zone (n.)).
zone (n.): late 14c., from Latin zona "geographical belt, celestial zone," from Greek zone "a belt, the girdle worn by women at the hips," related to zonnynai "to gird," from PIE root *yos- "to gird" (source also of Avestan yasta- "girt," Lithuanian juosiu "to gird," Old Church Slavonic po-jasu "girdle"). The 10c. Anglo-Saxon treatise on astronomy translates Latin quinque zonas as fyf gyrdlas.

Originally one of the five great divisions of the earth's surface (torrid, temperate, frigid; separated by tropics of Cancer and Capricorn and Arctic and Antarctic circles); meaning "any discrete region" is first recorded 1822. Zone defense in team sports is recorded from 1927.
zone (v.): 1760, "mark with zones," from zone (n.). Land use planning sense is from 1916. Related: Zoned; zoning.
zoned (adj.): 1960s in drug-use sense, from ozone (n.), which is found high in the atmosphere; the related verb to zone is from 1980s.
zoning (n.): "land-use planning," 1912, verbal noun from zone (v.).
zonk (v.): 1950, "to hit hard;" 1968, "to put into a stupor;" slang term, of echoic origin.
zoo (n.): c. 1847, short for Zoological Gardens of the London Zoological Society, established 1828 in Regent's Park to house the society's collection of wild animals. The first three letters taken as one syllable. "From a mere vulgarism, this corruption has passed into wide colloquial use" [Century Dictionary]. Slang meaning "crowded and chaotic place" first recorded 1935.
zoo-: word-forming element meaning "animal, living being," from comb. form of Greek zoion "an animal," literally "a living being," from PIE root *gwei- "to live, life" (source also of Greek bios "life," Old English cwicu "living;" see bio-).
zoography (n.): 1590s, from zoo- + -graphy. Related: Zoographer; zoographic.