zaire
zaire Lexical Profile
zaire Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The former name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country located in Central Africa, officially used between 1971 and 1997 under the regime of Mobutu Sese Seko.
The former basic monetary unit of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), replaced by the Congolese franc in 1997.
"Hyperinflation in the early 1990s caused the value of the zaire to plummet rapidly, rendering it nearly worthless."
An early and historical European name for the Congo River, the second-longest river in Africa.
Word Nuance & Usage
As a country name, Zaire was officially changed back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1997, meaning the term is now used almost exclusively in historical contexts.
• Rhymes for zaire
Word Origin & Etymology
From Portuguese 'Zaire', adapted from the Kongo word 'nzadi', meaning 'river', originally referring to the Congo River.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.