Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An indefinitely large number.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun slang, hyperbolic An unspecified large number (of).

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective very large indeterminate number
  • noun a very large indefinite number (usually hyperbole)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[On the model of million, billion, etc.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

See +‎ -illion

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Examples

Comments

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  • First recorded instance of word ‘zillion’?

    Song “You’re Too Good To Be True” (1936)

    Published:

    Copyright 31Oct36

    lyrics by Bud Green

    music by Jesse Greer

    EP57986

    R324702

    Library of Congress

    Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third Series

    Volume 17, Part 5, Number 2

    Music

    July-December

    1963

    Recording: (found on youtube)

    Brunswick 7779

    “You’re Too Good To Be True”

    lyrics by Bud Green

    music by Jesse Greer

    performed by Lud Gluskin & his Orchestra

    vocal by Buddy Clark

    recorded in NYC November 13, 1936

    March 15, 2019

  • Online Etymology Dictionary has citation year 1942.

    March 15, 2019

  • Fun! That's definitely earlier than the OED's first example for it, which is from 1944.

    March 15, 2019