What does zack mean?
Zack is most familiar today as a masculine given name, especially in North America. It is an English shortening of Zachary, which ultimately comes from a Hebrew name associated with the meaning “the Lord has remembered” or “Yahweh remembers.” Variants such as Zach and Zachariah preserve elements of the same name and its underlying Hebrew root. The word also has an older, largely obsolete British meaning: a pointed tool used for boring holes. That sense appears to have been borrowed from the German word Zacke, meaning a tooth or prong, and reflects the tool's shape. In contemporary use, however, zack is encountered overwhelmingly in the context of personal names rather than objects. Its simple spelling and familiar sound make it particularly common as an affectionate or everyday form of Zachary. When used as a personal name, it is generally capitalized, whereas the historical common noun appears in lowercase and ordinarily forms its plural as zacks.
nounZack is a masculine given name derived from Zachary. In older British English, it also denoted a pointed tool used for boring holes.
- A masculine given name derived from Zachary.
- An obsolete pointed tool used for boring holes.
"Zack was named after his grandfather, while an old mining zack lay on the workshop bench."
"Zack scored the winning goal in the final."
"The quarryman used a zack to bore a hole in the stone."
The regular plural applies to the historical common noun meaning a boring tool. Personal names are ordinarily not pluralized.
"The museum displayed several old mining zacks."
Zack may look like a modern invention, but its name preserves an ancient idea: the Hebrew name Zachary means “the Lord has remembered.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of zack
As a given name, zack developed as an English shortening of Zachary; related forms such as Zachariah and Zechariah continue a name whose Hebrew origin is traditionally interpreted as “the Lord has remembered.” The occupational noun zack is a separate historical borrowing associated with German Zacke, “tooth” or “prong,” referring to the pointed implement used for boring. It belongs mainly to older British usage and is now uncommon.
How zack is actually used
As a personal name, zack is informal and familiar in tone, although it can also appear on official documents. The common noun describing a boring tool is historical or obsolete and is chiefly associated with British English.
Easily confused with zack
Zack and Zach are both masculine given names and shortenings of Zachary, but they are distinct conventional spellings.