n. [ F. zèle; cf. Pg. & It. zelo, Sp. zelo, celo; from L. zelus, Gr. &unr_;, probably akin to &unr_; to boil. Cf. Yeast, Jealous. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Passionate ardor in the pursuit of anything; eagerness in favor of a person or cause; ardent and active interest; engagedness; enthusiasm; fervor. “Ambition varnished o'er with zeal.” Milton. “Zeal, the blind conductor of the will.” Dryden. “Zeal's never-dying fire.” Keble. [ 1913 Webster ]

I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. Rom. x. 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

A zeal for liberty is sometimes an eagerness to subvert with little care what shall be established. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A zealot. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To be zealous. [ Obs. & R. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who is zealous; a zealot; an enthusiast. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

To certain zealants, all speech of pacification is odious. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Full of zeal; characterized by zeal. [ Obs. ] “Zealed religion.” Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Full of zeal. [ R. ] Sylvester. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Wanting zeal. Hammond. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. zélote, L. zelotes, Gr. &unr_;. See Zeal. ] One who is zealous; one who engages warmly in any cause, and pursues his object with earnestness and ardor; especially, one who is overzealous, or carried away by his zeal; one absorbed in devotion to anything; an enthusiast; a fanatical partisan. [ 1913 Webster ]

Zealots for the one [ tradition ] were in hostile array against zealots for the other. Sir J. Stephen. [ 1913 Webster ]

In Ayrshire, Clydesdale, Nithisdale, Annandale, every parish was visited by these turbulent zealots. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like, or suitable to, a zealot; ardently zealous. [ R. ] Strype. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The character or conduct of a zealot; zealotry. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A zealot. [ Obs. ] Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]