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the body of a dead person given the semblance of life, but mute and will-less, by a supernatural force, usually for some evil purpose.
the supernatural force itself.

Informal.

a person whose behavior or responses are wooden, listless, or seemingly rote; automaton.
an eccentric or peculiar person.

a snake god worshiped in West Indian and Brazilian religious practices of African origin.
a tall drink made typically with several kinds of rum, citrus juice, and often apricot liqueur.
Canadian Slang. an army conscript assigned to home defense during World War II.
Contemporary Examples

As Brad Pitt battles zombie hordes, an unusual new take on the zombie novel has just appeared on bookshelves.
Zombies, Zombies, Everywhere: What’s a Novelist to Do? J.T. Price June 20, 2013

Photographers snapped the moment, and the freeze frame was lovingly titled “zombie McCain.”
7 Worst Presidential-Debate Blunders (Video) Brittany Jones-Cooper November 9, 2011

Megan clearly reminds him of Penny, the daughter he lost and kept locked away even after she turned into a zombie.
Will the Governor and Carol Join Forces? The Walking Dead’s David Morrissey Says It’s a Good Theory Melissa Leon November 17, 2013

But it also happened in the zombie game DayZ to video game writer Kim Correa.
Gaming Misogyny Gets Infinite Lives: Zoe Quinn, Virtual Rape, and Sexism Amanda Marcotte August 21, 2014

I hate to break the news, but Molly Shannon would definitely not make it through the zombie apocalypse.
Molly Shannon on ‘Life After Beth,’ Turning 50, and ‘Never Been Kissed’ Melissa Leon August 16, 2014

Historical Examples

It was soon plain that she was a zombie with about ten words in her vocabulary.
The Planet Strappers Raymond Zinke Gallun

No one was in the stores, and no one was bothering with the zombie maze.
Makers Cory Doctorow

A huge, zombie form—the ugliest part of this night of anguish and distortion.
The Planet Strappers Raymond Zinke Gallun

A mad enterprise indeed—a ghost and a zombie, going to seek out a foe whose numbers and whose might grew ever more apparent.
World of the Drone Robert Abernathy

I logged back in and there I was, still on the deck of the zombie Charger, waiting for someone to wind me up.
Little Brother Cory Doctorow

noun (pl) -bies, -bis
a person who is or appears to be lifeless, apathetic, or totally lacking in independent judgment; automaton
a supernatural spirit that reanimates a dead body
a corpse brought to life in this manner
the snake god of voodoo cults in the West Indies, esp Haiti, and in scattered areas of the southern US
the python god revered in parts of West Africa
a piece of computer code that instructs an infected computer to send a virus on to other computer systems
n.

1871, of West African origin (cf. Kikongo zumbi “fetish;” Kimbundu nzambi “god”), originally the name of a snake god, later with meaning “reanimated corpse” in voodoo cult. But perhaps also from Louisiana creole word meaning “phantom, ghost,” from Spanish sombra “shade, ghost.” Sense “slow-witted person” is recorded from 1936.

adjective

Sexually appealing or arousing to males, esp in a plump and well-rounded way; curvaceous; built like a brick shithouse: zoftig, pleasantly plump and pretty/ The legs of the Red Suit are cut so high and deep, even the leanest female bum looks like a zaftig peach

[1937+; fr Yiddish, literally ”juicy”]

1. zombie process.
2. A ghost.
[Jargon File]
(1997-10-08)