Hypertext Webster Gateway: "zany"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Zany \Za"ny\, v. t.
To mimic. [Obs.]
Your part is acted; give me leave at distance To zany
it. --Massinger.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Zany \Za"ny\, n.; pl. {Zanies}. [It. zanni a buffoon,
merry-andrew, orig. same as Giovanni John, i. e., merry John,
L. Ioannes, Gr. ?, Heb. Y[=o]kh[=a]n[=a]n, prop., the Lord
graciously gave: cf. F. zani, fr. the Italian. Cf.
{Jenneting}.]
A merry-andrew; a buffoon.
Then write that I may follow, and so be Thy echo, thy
debtor, thy foil, thy zany. --Donne.
Preacher at once, and zany of thy age. --Pope.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
zany
adj 1: (informal terms) "gave me a cockamamie reason for not
going"; "wore a goofy hat"; "a silly idea"; "some
wacky plan for selling more books" [syn: {cockamamie},
{cockamamy}, {fool(a)}, {goofy}, {sappy}, {silly}, {wacky},
{unreasonable}]
2: like a clown; "a buffoonish walk"; "a clownish face"; "a
zany sense of humor" [syn: {buffoonish}, {clownish}, {clowlike}]
n 1: a buffoon in one of the old comedies; imitates others for
ludicrous effect
2: a man who is a stupid fool [syn: {fathead}, {goof}, {bozo},
{jackass}, {goose}, {cuckoo}, {twat}]
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