Etymology

From the game StarCraft (1998), in which the easily mass-produced Zerg units encourage such a strategy.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /zɜː(ɹ)ɡ/Category:English 1-syllable words#ZERGCategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#ZERG

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

  Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#ZERG
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)ɡCategory:Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)ɡ#ZERGCategory:Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)ɡ/1 syllable#ZERG

Verb

zerg (third-person singular simple present zergs, present participle zerging, simple past and past participle zerged)Category:English lemmas#ZERGCategory:English verbs#ZERGCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#ZERGCategory:Pages with entries#ZERGCategory:Pages with 1 entry#ZERG

1. (slangCategory:English slang#ZERG, video gamesCategory:en:Video games#ZERG, strategy games, datedCategory:English dated terms#ZERG) To attack an opponent with a large swarm of low-level units before they have been able to build sufficient defences.
   • 2002, Wolfie, “Re: Whoa - massive changes due in next patch”, in alt.games.everquest (Usenet):

     You can't win with small, balanced groups. You have to zerg the mob with a high number of players. They don't have to zerg lower tier encounters just like the lowest tier guilds doesn't have to zerg orc camp 1 in EC. But, at the top end, it's still zerg tactics.

     Category:English terms with quotations#ZERG

   • 2003, George, “Finding groups to mission/hunt/other experience with”, in alt.games.starwarsgalaxies (Usenet):

     The scale and lack of focused content doesn't facilitate this grouping as well as some other games. The good side of that is you don't get the "wonderful" experience of zerging around DF with everyone else waiting for something to spawn.

     Category:English terms with quotations#ZERG

   • 2008, neithskye, “AV after the last changes...”, in alt.games.warcraft (Usenet):

     No one ever did D (or just 3-4 people tried), we just zerged, and we would lose every single AV.

     Category:English terms with quotations#ZERG

Noun

zerg (plural zergs)Category:English lemmas#ZERGCategory:English nouns#ZERGCategory:English countable nouns#ZERGCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#ZERGCategory:Pages with entries#ZERGCategory:Pages with 1 entry#ZERG

1. (slangCategory:English slang#ZERG, video gamesCategory:en:Video games#ZERG, datedCategory:English dated terms#ZERG) A very large group of units or players.

Anagrams

• Grez