noun
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a subordinate clown or acrobat in old comedies who mimics ludicrously the tricks of the principal
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: a slavish follower
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: one who acts the buffoon to amuse others : nut, kook
Source:http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zany
I came across this word in the reading excerpt, “A Picture Of Language: The Fading Art Of Diagramming Sentences” by Juanna Summers. This word can be found in the sentence “If you weren’t taught to diagram a sentence, this might sound a little zany”. The sentence before says ” But sentence diagramming brings geometry into grammar”. I believe this word is being used in descriptive terms of foolish or crazy like a nut or kook. The author is saying that the idea of diagram sentence might sound crazy because it’s in a different format that not everyone is use to learning about sentences.
