Obs. rare. [ad. late L. zēlant-, zēlans, pr. pple. of zēlāre: see ZEAL v. Cf. It. zelante zealous.] A zealot.
1625. Bacon, Ess., Unity in Relig. (Arb.), 427. To certaine Zelants all Speech of Pacification is odious.
[1885. E. A. Abbott, Bacon, 426. An Advertisement touching an Holy War..., in which the interlocutors represent a Moderate Divine, a Protestant Zelant, a Romish Catholic Zelant.]
