zoom

¹

[zoom]

verb (used without object)

1. to move quickly or suddenly with a loud humming or buzzing sound.

   cars zooming by on the freeway.

   Synonyms: flash, streak, speed, buzz

2. to fly an airplane suddenly and sharply upward at great speed for a short distance, as in regaining altitude, clearing an obstacle, or signaling.

3. Movies, Television.,  to bring a subject, scene, etc., into closeup or cause it to recede into a long shot using a zoom lens and while maintaining focus.

4. Informal.,  to increase or rise suddenly and sharply.

   Rents would zoom without rent control laws.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause (an airplane) to zoom.

2. to fly over (an obstacle) by zooming.

noun

1. the act or process of zooming.

2. a zooming sound.

3. Informal.,  zoom lens.

4. Also called zoom shot. Movies, Television.,  a shot in which a subject, scene, or action is brought closer or made to recede by the use of a zoom lens.

verb phrase

1. zoom in (on)

   1. to bring (a subject, scene, etc.) into closeup by using a zoom lens.

      to zoom in for a look at the injured man; to zoom in on a candidate at a political convention.

   2. to examine more closely or in greater detail; focus on.

      The panel zoomed in on the subject of abortion.

Zoom

²

[zoom]

Trademark.

1. a brand name for a software application and online service that enables voice and video phone calls over the internet.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to participate in a real-time conversation with (one or more people) using Zoom.

   Yesterday the kids Zoomed their grandparents in Florida.

   We Zoom with remote staff during our Friday meetings.

zoom

/ zuːm /

verb

1. to make or cause to make a continuous buzzing or humming sound

2. to move or cause to move with such a sound

3. (intr) to move very rapidly; rush

   we zoomed through town

4. to cause (an aircraft) to climb briefly at an unusually steep angle, or (of an aircraft) to climb in this way

5. (intr) (of prices) to rise rapidly

noun

1. the sound or act of zooming

2. See zoom lens

Word History and Origins

Origin of zoom¹

First recorded in 1885–90; imitative

Origin of zoom²

First recorded in 2010–15; shortening of Zoom Video Communications

Word History and Origins

Origin of zoom¹

C20: of imitative origin

Example Sentences

She added: "If you took a picture of the coffee shop and zoomed out, you would see what the reality was."

From BBC

The rhetoric is already flying higher than the planes that will zoom over Windsor Castle later.

From BBC

The map enables users to zoom in and see how many people a certain water district serves, and how many violations it’s had in the last five years.

From Los Angeles Times

We zoomed in on the image, but the quality is too poor to make out what the dark shape pictured is.

From BBC

As the camera zoomed in, Anastacia strutted down the staircase, her hair in pigtails under a candy striped bucket hat, her midriff exposed by a crop top, in accordance with 1990s pop regulations.

From BBC

Related Words

• buzz 
• dart 
• dash 
• dive 
• flash 
• hurtle 
• rocket 
• shoot up 
• skyrocket 
• surge 
• whirl 
• whiz 
• zip