zip

[ zip ]

/ zɪp /

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noun

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

Informal. energy; vim; vigor: Wow, you've got zip today—too much coffee this morning?

verb (used without object), zipped, zip·ping.

to move with a zipping sound.

Informal. to act or move with speed or energy: I'll just zip upstairs.

verb (used with object), zipped, zip·ping.Informal.

to convey with speed and energy: I'll zip you downtown on my motorcycle.

to add vitality or zest to (usually followed by up): A little garlic zips up a salad.

OTHER WORDS FOR zip

2 pep, dash, verve, vivacity, vitality.

See synonyms for zip on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

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Origin of zip

First recorded in 1850–55; imitative of the sound

Other definitions for zip (2 of 5)

zip²

[ zip ]

/ zɪp /

verb (used with object), zipped, zip·ping.

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

to enclose or free by doing up or undoing a zipper: Zip this money into your wallet. Zip me out of my dress.

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

verb (used without object), zipped, zip·ping.

to become fastened or unfastened by means of a zipper: a handy purse that zips shut.

to do up or undo a zipper.

noun

zipper (def. 1).

adjective

utilizing or having a zipper: a coat with a zip front.

Computers. of or relating to a method of file compression: a zip file.

Origin of zip

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

OTHER WORDS FROM zip

zipless, adjective

Other definitions for zip (3 of 5)

zip³

[ zip ]

/ zɪp /

Slang.

noun

zero or nothing: The score of last night's hockey game was 4–zip.

verb (used with object), zipped, zip·ping.

(in sports) to defeat by keeping an opponent from scoring: The home team was zipped again yesterday.

Origin of zip

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

Other definitions for zip (4 of 5)

zip⁴

[ zip ]

/ zɪp /

Informal.

noun

zip code.

Origin of zip

⁴

By ellipsis

Other definitions for zip (5 of 5)

Zip

[ zip ]

/ zɪp /

Trademark.

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.

How to use zip in a sentence

As a neurotransmitter, it zips across the spaces between brain cells.
Warning! Junk foods can harm a teen’s brain|Sharon Oosthoek|November 19, 2020|Science News For Students
The richness of the miso and soy, with the zip from the ginger, makes the fish heavenly.
Ease into Winter with Backcountry-Approved Comfort Food|Christina Bernstein|November 12, 2020|Outside Online
Rather than wasting time slowly climbing one building to the next like previous games, you could just shoot out a zip line or pull yourself up a tall building in seconds.
All the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ games, ranked|Elise Favis, Gene Park|November 11, 2020|Washington Post
The now-deleted tweet featured a video of half-red, half-blue hoodie being zipped up and the message “The one thing we know, is that together, we can move forward.”
‘Emotions are so heightened’: Why the election fallout hammers home the need for marketers to act responsibly|Lara O'Reilly|November 9, 2020|Digiday

The laptop compartment has an ejector handle that lifts your laptop out of its pocket for easy access, and the front three-quarter-zip compartment houses a padded and fleece-lined tablet sleeve.
Must-have gadgets and accessories for safer winter (and pandemic) travel|Rachel King|November 6, 2020|Fortune
If only Sulzberger had managed to keep a zipped upper lip while leaving the dirty work to anonymous underlings.
The Bloodiest Media Coups of 2014|Lloyd Grove|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Shivering, we pulled our hats low our heads and zipped our jackets tight around our chests.
A Little Too Off the Beaten Path in Burma|Katya Cengel|June 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Inside the plastic bag was a zipped cloth bag, and inside that, the remains of a baby.
Utah’s Murderer Mom Is a Monster but She’s Not the First|Steve Miller|April 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After he'd leashed the huskies up to the sled, Winkelmann deftly zipped me into a tarp-like blanket.
Visiting the Arctic Circle…Before It’s Irreversibly Changed|Terry Greene Sterling|April 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I wanted to ask you about one piece in particular, the big polo neck that zipped up the back.
5 Questions for Paul Smith|Tom Sykes|February 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He zipped open the closure of his helmet and tilted the helmet back.
The Worshippers|Damon Francis Knight
Hogan watched disdainfully as the second pitch zipped past, wide of the plate.
The Boy Scouts of Lakeville High|Leslie W. Quirk
Skittering images of her zipped through his mind, only to be shoved aside.
The Syndic|C.M. Kornbluth
He fished into one of the boxes, pulled out the blue dress and zipped the girl mech into it.
The Love of Frank Nineteen|David Carpenter Knight
Some of the leaden missiles hit the ground and made little clouds of dust, and others zipped on all sides of the auto.
The Motor Boys Overland|Clarence Young

British Dictionary definitions for zip (1 of 2)

zip

/ (zɪp) /

noun

Also called: zip fastener 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 tabUS and Canadian term: zipper
(modifier) having or equipped with such a devicea zip bag

a short sharp whizzing sound, as of a passing bullet

informal energy; vigour; vitality

US slang nothing

sport, US and Canadian slang nil

verb zips, zipping or zipped

(tr often foll by up) to fasten (clothing, a bag, etc) with a zip

(intr) to move with a zipthe bullet zipped past

(intr; often foll by along, through, etc) to hurry; rushthey zipped through town

(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

Word Origin for zip

C19: of imitative origin

British Dictionary definitions for zip (2 of 2)

Zip

/ (zɪp) /

noun

trademark NZ an electric water heater

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

zip

OTHER WORDS FOR zip

Origin of zip

Other definitions for zip (2 of 5)

Origin of zip

OTHER WORDS FROM zip

Other definitions for zip (3 of 5)

Origin of zip

Other definitions for zip (4 of 5)

Origin of zip

Other definitions for zip (5 of 5)

Words related to zip

How to use zip in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for zip (1 of 2)

Word Origin for zip

British Dictionary definitions for zip (2 of 2)