Zyzzyvas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of wasp known for its unique behavior and ecological role
2. A name used in entomology to classify a specific genus of insects
3. An uncommon example of a biological term often highlighted in dictionaries for its distinctive spelling

Etymology: Zyzzyvas are the last words in most English dictionaries, and that alphabetical position is no accident of coinage, since the genus was named to sit at the end of the alphabet. The insects in question are weevils, small beetles of the family Curculionidae, and the genus Zyzzyva was established within that group as a taxonomic label. Its name follows the ordinary practice of scientists naming genera in Latin-style forms, but the letters were chosen for their rarity and their position at the back of the alphabet. The word "zyzzyva" is therefore a technical name first and an English word only by accident. Its plural, "zyzzyvas," is simply the regular English plural applied to the same name, so the form you see is the genus label itself, pluralized as one would pluralize any noun.