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• zip
  zip

  noun

  a sudden, brief hissing sound, as of a bullet.
• Zip
  Zip

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

zip

¹ American  

[zip] / zɪp /

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

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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 American  

[zip] / zɪp /

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.

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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 American  

[zip] / zɪp /

noun

1. zero or nothing.

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

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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 American  

[zip] / zɪp /

noun

1. zip code.

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Zip ⁵ American  

[zip] / zɪp /

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.

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zip ¹ British  

/ 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

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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 British  

/ zɪp /

noun

1. an electric water heater

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Other Word Forms

• zipless
  adjective

Etymology

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; cf. zilch

Origin of zip⁴

By ellipsis

Explanation

To zip is to close with a zipper. Also, zip means zilch, which is zero or nothing. Make sure to zip your wallet because if everything falls out, you’ll have zip. Zip as in “to close with a zipper” is short for — you guessed it — zipper. If you're cold, zip up your coat. If you zip your lips, you’re not using a zipper but you’re closing your mouth. Zip meaning “nothing” came from kids in the 1900s when they referred to getting a zero on a test. Now, if you have zip, you have nothing, and not just on a test.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

zip Zip zipped zipping

Elsewhere on Saturday, French luxury house Hermes presented its women's collection in the courtyard of the elite Republican Guard police unit in Paris, making the zip its leitmotif and the ultra-fine strap an accessory.

From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026

Police also reportedly detained attendees and placed several in zip ties in the parking lot until cleared by investigators.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

Another passenger, Zvika Meness, told Israeli public broadcaster Kan he helped overpower the attacker, and the passenger and two others "tied him up with his own zip ties and with the multimedia headphones".

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

So it goes, even when Hal uses his ring to zip into the sky at supersonic speed from California to Rushville, Nebraska, leaving John to fly coach and rent a car to meet him there.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

They all zip past the saxophonist without a glance or a coin to spare, so I do, too, even though I don’t feel very good about it.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day

Ruth had recently bought the trademark rights to the digital storage systems iOmega, Zip and Jaz.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

In one report, Realtor.com found that in the 43 Zip codes where large data centers went up between 2019 and 2025, home prices went up at a “nearly identical rate” as in areas without them.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026

Mr. duPont is a co-founder of Chartline Capital and Zip Code Wilmington.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

Zip World has eight sites across Wales and England, including the world's fastest zip line - Velocity - at Penrhyn Quarry in Bethesda.

From BBC ● Jan. 27, 2025

Recently, the last three numbers of the post office’s new Zip Code for a postal district of Harlem hit, and one banker almost went broke.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

I zipped through to the TSA checkpoint at SFO without having to pass through one or two representatives and a kiosk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Hershey Pa.’s Christian Pulisic set up a sequence that led to a Paraguay own goal, and then, not long after, zipped a centering pass to the 24-year-old Balogun to make it 2-0.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026

Ohtani zipped it in at knee level, and Carroll drilled it into the ground, right to second baseman Alex Freeland.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026

First, there was the child who zipped his entire face inside the hood of his green sweatshirt.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2026

And then there was just a series of light splashes as Daniel zipped across the water.

From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness

Building independence can also help bridge the gap between home and school life, she says, by encouraging your child to do some things by themselves, such as zipping up their own coat.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

“Micromobility”—people zipping around on small motorized vehicles—has brought challenges to traffic-law enforcement for years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Chargers rookie wide receiver Brenen Thompson said he doesn’t love zipping around.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

It’s a lively university town with breweries everywhere, bikes zipping past on nearly every street, and the kind of easy smiles and hellos that make Midwest nice feel real.

From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2026

I wake up with dragonflies zipping through my gut.

From "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai

Related Words

• oomph
• pep
• sparkle
• verve
• vigor