Obs. exc. dial. Variant of ZED, name of the letter Z; hence (slang) applied to a thing or person of crooked form. (Cf. ZARD.)
1669. Holder, Elem. Speech, 140. We may imagine it to have been anciently pronounced, as it is now by the Italians, Ds or Ts; and so to be called Zad from the Hebrew Tsadi: but yet … we … do as often call it Yzard.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v., A meer Zad, used of any bandy-legg’d, crouch-back’d … Person.
1728. De Foe, Street Robb. Consid., 35. Zad, crooked.
1778. Halhed, Gram. Bengal Lang., 6. W is defined from its form only, not from its use; and Z zad, or izard is an appellation equally useless.
1810. Crabbe, Borough, xviii. 30. And how she soothed me, when, with study sad, I labour’d on to reach the final Zad.
1877. Reports Provinc. (E.D.D.). Labouring man said at a night school, ‘I can’t make a zad.’
