Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US black/campus) a bizarre-looking person; also attrib.

1936		Mencken Amer. Lang. (4th edn) 587: Any performer [in the movie business] not a Caucasian is a zombie.
1945		Salt Lake Telegram (UT) 6 Apr. 5/2: [advert] Doin’ big time jamming? Don’t do a zombie...Be a sharp shark. Skin into these reet set of threads for slick chicks and swoon goons.
1953		W. Eyster Far from the Customary Skies 327: You see, Miss, Oakie here had me thinking you was some skinny runt, a real zombie.
1979		M. Matshoba ‘Pilgimage to Makana’ Call Me Not A Man 105: All racists must know that they’re nothing but a bunch of brain-washed zombies.
1986		H.B. Gilmour Pretty in Pink 69: I saw you rapping all over that zombie [...] My best friend’s conversing with a mutant.
1999		Guardian Guide 17–23 July 95: The resulting blend of zits, zombies, bullying and bogeymen is fun.
2000		Guardian Rev. 21 Jan. 14: Nothing could be stranger than the renaissance of the ultimate zombie art form, goth music.

2. a dullard, a slow-witted person.

1940		S. Longstreet Decade 162: You don’t mean to say Stephan in his right mind appointed those two zombies? Appointed them executors!
1947		(con. 1944) J.H. Burns Gallery (1948) 120: So I too would stand at the bar with the zombies.
1957		J. Braine Room at the Top (1959) 16: To Charles and me it was always Dead Dufton and the councillors and chief officials [...] were called zombies. [Ibid.] 17: There’s nothing in Dufton, Joe. Leave it before you become a zombie.
1962		H. Livings Nil Carborundum (1963) Act III: Not now you thickheaded misbegotten zombie! Switch it off!
1977		J. Rosenthal Spend, Spend, Spend Scene 84: I used to sit by the phone like a zombie, thinking [...] Thinking ... even though he’s dead, he might just phone me...
1986		C. Hiaasen Tourist Season (1987) 294: The dope-wasted nigger and the creepy Seminole Indian had trailed along like zombies.
1993		I. Welsh Trainspotting 183: Your brother’s a spastic [...] Your brother’s a zombie.
2004		T. Winton ‘Defender’ in Turning (2005) 301: Well, you were like a zombie.

3. (US/UK black, also zom box) a radio or television [radio/television renders its listener/watcher a zombie].

1940		S. Longstreet Decade 349: Turn off that zombie – that radio!
2000		N. Barlay Crumple Zone 72: Ain’t standin’ere wiv a hooky zom box all nigh’.

4. (UK prison) a prison officer who looks permanently miserable and humourless.

1989		J. Morton Lowspeak.
2003		Observer Crime 27 Apr. 28: Zombie. A particularly nasty prison officer – one more dead than alive.

5. a policewoman.

1954		R. Fabian London After Dark 23: We get the zombies (policewomen) around here with the Children’s Waggon pretty often.
1989		J. Morton Lowspeak.

6. (US black) a very African-looking person, short of stature, with a dark complexion and broad features.

1983

R. Klein Jailhouse Jargon and Street Sl. [unpub. ms.].

7. a crack addict.

1987		Masters of Ceremony ‘Cracked Out’ 🎵 I was shocked, my mind had been rocked / All kinds of crazy zombies were round the block.
1994		N. McCall Makes Me Wanna Holler (1995) 371: Worse still was the list of those brothers who were drug zombies.
2001		ONDCP Street Terms 23: Zombie — PCP; heavy user of drugs.

8. (UK teen) a serrated-edged, multi-bladed knife.

2015		Guardian 21 Sept 2/4: The ‘zombie’ knife, which he said had ‘multiple sharp edges designed to maximise damage if not death’ .
2016		Hackney Gaz. 23 June 🌐 A ‘Zombie Killer’ knife and ‘robbery kit’ were seized along with heroin and crack.
2020		G. Krauze What They Was 131: These brers [...] keep tryna soak me up with zombie knives.