zipper

American  

[zip-er] / ˈzɪp ər /

noun

1. Also called slide fastener.  a device used for fastening clothing, valises, etc., consisting of two toothed tracks or spiral metal or plastic coils, each bordering one of two edges to be joined, and a piece that either interlocks or separates them when pulled.

2. a person or thing that zips.

3. a rubber and fabric boot or overshoe fastened up the leg by a zipper.

4. a large illuminated display of news bulletins or advertisements that rapidly and continously flash by on an upper part of a building.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. zip.

zipper British  

/ ˈzɪpə /

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): zip.  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

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Other Word Forms

• zipperless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of zipper

1920–25, formerly a trademark; see zip ¹, -er ¹

Explanation

A zipper is a sliding fastener. You'll get cold and wet if you don't zip the zipper on your coat during a blizzard. Zippers are usually made of metal or plastic teeth that fit together as you slide a tab along them. It's common to have a zipper on your coat, jeans, or dress instead of snaps or buttons. Suitcases and sleeping bags are usually closed with zippers too. The zipper was invented in 1917, but it was initially called a "zip." At the time, a zipper was a particular type of boot that zipped closed.

Example Sentences

“A lot of people won’t feel like they can afford it, and for that reason, I don’t necessarily see it as being transformational,” Zipper said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

David Zipper, a micromobility expert and senior fellow at the MIT Mobility Initiative, said he isn’t convinced there’s heavy demand for a product like the TM-B.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

This fall, the Calidore returns to Colburn to survey a hometown composer, the Hollywood film-score icon Erich Wolfgang Korngold, playing his little-known three string quartets in the first program, in Zipper Hall.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 29, 2024

David Zipper explains why that’s bad news for all of us.

From Slate • Feb. 6, 2024

When Marion, Sookie, and Vern returned, Vern hung on to Marion’s arm and moved slowly, but his eyes were wild like he’d just come off the Zipper at the Topsfield Fair.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

Related Words

• connection
• link