Za
/zɑː/noun
An informal American English word for pizza.
Did you know?“Za” became especially prominent in American counterculture and hip-hop slang, where shortening “pizza” helped create a playful, insider-sounding vocabulary.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
Italian
pizza
“A baked flatbread dish; the word’s deeper origin is uncertain, though proposals connect it with regional words for bread or baked dough.”
19th Century
Italian-American English
pizza
“A familiar food among Italian immigrant communities in the United States.”
Mid-20th Century
American English
za
“A slang clipping of “pizza,” formed by shortening the original word.”
Late 20th Century
American English
za
“Informal youth and counterculture slang for pizza.”
Modern English
English
za
“A widely recognized casual term for pizza, especially in North American slang and word games.”