zip

¹

[zip]

noun

1. a sudden, brief hissing sound, as of a bullet.

2. Informal.,  energy; vim; vigor.

   Wow, you've got zip today—too much coffee this morning?

   Synonyms: vitality, vivacity, verve, dash, pep

verb (used without object)

zipped, zipping 

1. to move with a zipping sound.

2. Informal.,  to act or move with speed or energy.

   I'll just zip upstairs.

verb (used with object)

Informal.

zipped, zipping 

1. to convey with speed and energy.

   I'll zip you downtown on my motorcycle.

2. to add vitality or zest to (usually followed byup ).

   A little garlic zips up a salad.

zip

²

[zip]

verb (used with object)

zipped, zipping 

1. to fasten or unfasten with a zipper: Zip open the traveling case.

   Zip your jacket.

   Zip open the traveling case.

2. to enclose or free by doing up or undoing a zipper.

   Zip this money into your wallet. Zip me out of my dress.

3. Computers.,  to compress (a file) in archive format, so it requires less memory to save and store it.

verb (used without object)

zipped, zipping 

1. to become fastened or unfastened by means of a zipper.

   a handy purse that zips shut.

2. to do up or undo a zipper.

noun

1. zipper.

adjective

1. utilizing or having a zipper.

   a coat with a zip front.

2. Computers.,  of or relating to a method of file compression.

   a zip file.

zip

³

[zip]

noun

1. zero or nothing.

   The score of last night's hockey game was 4–zip.

verb (used with object)

zipped, zipping 

1. (in sports) to defeat by keeping an opponent from scoring.

   The home team was zipped again yesterday.

zip

⁴

[zip]

noun

1. zip code.

Zip

⁵

[zip]

Trademark.

1. a floppy disk form of storage for computer data with a capacity of 100–750 MB, used primarily in the 1990s.

   a Zip drive;

   a Zip disk.

zip

¹

/ zɪp /

noun

1. 1. Also called: zip fastener. US and Canadian term: zipper. a fastening device operating by means of two parallel rows of metal or plastic teeth on either side of a closure that are interlocked by a sliding tab

   2. (modifier) having or equipped with such a device

      a zip bag

2. a short sharp whizzing sound, as of a passing bullet

3. informal,  energy; vigour; vitality

4. slang,  nothing

5. slang,  sport nil

verb

1. to fasten (clothing, a bag, etc) with a zip

2. (intr) to move with a zip

   the bullet zipped past

3. (intr; often foll by along, through, etc) to hurry; rush

   they zipped through town

4. (tr) computing to compress (a file) in order to reduce the amount of memory required to store it or to make sending it electronically quicker

Zip

²

/ zɪp /

noun

1. an electric water heater

Other Word Forms

• zipless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of zip¹

First recorded in 1850–55; imitative of the sound

Origin of zip²

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40; back formation from zipper

Origin of zip³

First recorded in 1895–1900; apparently an expressive word, with z- of zero; zilch

Origin of zip⁴

By ellipsis

Word History and Origins

Origin of zip¹

C19: of imitative origin

Example Sentences

Everywhere I looked—a dozen games in progress—I saw birdies zipping on flat lines.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Roske pleaded guilty in April, nearly three years after being arrested outside Kavanaugh’s house with a pistol, zip ties, duct tape, pepper spray, crowbar and hammer, along with other burglary tools, according to court records.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

She described children being detained, saying federal agents “had them zip tied to each other.”

Read more on Salon

Patrolling the cemetery one evening, PC Chris Middleton attempts to stop a young man zipping down a footpath on an electric scooter - but the masked figure simply ignores the constable and speeds off.

Read more on BBC

They died from apparent suffocation and their wrists had been bound with zip ties, authorities said, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• oomph 
• pep 
• sparkle 
• verve 
• vigor