zhe
zhe Lexical Profile
• pronoun
A gender-neutral third-person singular subject neopronoun, used as an alternative to 'he', 'she', or singular 'they' to refer to a person of unspecified or non-binary gender.
"When the guest speaker arrived at the conference, zhe went straight to the auditorium to test the microphone."
• noun
The round, red, mulberry-like edible aggregate fruit of the Chinese silkworm thorn tree (Maclura tricuspidata, formerly Cudrania tricuspidata), native to East Asia and having a sweet, mild flavor reminiscent of fig and watermelon.
"In late autumn, the orchard's ripened zhe fruits turned a deep crimson and were harvested for fresh eating."
A deciduous tree or large shrub of the mulberry family (Moraceae), native to China and Korea, cultivated for its edible red fruits and leaves historically used to feed silkworms.
"The gardener planted a hardy zhe near the south wall to enjoy its summer shade and autumn fruit crop."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a gender-neutral neopronoun, 'zhe' is typically pronounced /ʒiː/ (rhyming with 'she' and 'he') and paired with the objective/possessive form 'zher' or 'hir'. As a noun naming the Asian fruit (Cudrania tricuspidata), it is borrowed from Mandarin Chinese and pronounced roughly /dʒʌ/.
• Rhymes for zhe
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
As a pronoun, coined in the late 20th century as a gender-neutral blend modeled on 'she' and 'he'. As a fruit name, borrowed from Mandarin Chinese 柘 (zhè), referring to the silkworm thorn tree and its edible berry-like fruit.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.