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zecca

mint

noun DZEK-kah Rare
Animals & Nature Insects

Origin: From Arabic sikka (coin die), entering Italian via medieval trade.

Also means

tick

Usage Note

Zecca has two distinct meanings: the national mint where coins are struck (la Zecca dello Stato), and the blood-sucking arachnid tick (la zecca / le zecche). Context always makes clear which is meant. The idiom nuovo di zecca means 'brand new' (literally 'fresh from the mint') and is very common in everyday speech.

Examples

"Ho trovato una zecca sul cane."

Natural Translation

I found a tick on the dog.

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