zoom
- to move quickly or suddenly with a loud humming or buzzing sound: cars zooming by on the freeway.
- to fly an airplane suddenly and sharply upward at great speed for a short distance, as in regaining altitude, clearing an obstacle, or signaling.
- 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.
- Informal. to increase or rise suddenly and sharply: Rents would zoom without rent control laws.
- to cause (an airplane) to zoom.
- to fly over (an obstacle) by zooming.
- zoom in (on),
- 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.
- to examine more closely or in greater detail; focus on: The panel zoomed in on the subject of abortion.
Origin of zoom
Synonyms for zoom
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comRelated Words for zoom
whirl, dash, hurtle, zip, rocket, dive, flash, surge, whiz, skyrocket, buzz, dart, streak, shoot, rush, tear, hum, rip, fly, outstripExamples from the Web for zoom
Contemporary Examples of zoom
If you zoom in on Google Maps, you can just make out the jumbles of industrial machinery tucked away inside.
It beats a screen grab because you can zoom in and out as you travel.
How to Get Cheaper Tickets, Live Like a Local, and Other Great Travel HacksBrandon Presser
June 4, 2014
Click here to zoom in, then take a look at the bottom hem of the topless Psyche's dress.
Unlike humans, it can watch for days, even years, watch an entire city, zoom in close, use heat sensors and infrared.
Yes, it may be individually rational, but let's zoom back to 30,000 feet and look at the whole society.
Don't Have Enough to Worry About? Here's One More Thing: Low Growth May be Here to Stay.Megan McArdle
March 4, 2013
Historical Examples of zoom
After that for some time only the zoom of the motor was heard.
Gypsy FlightRoy J. Snell
Jack had to "zoom" several times to get out of reach of the shells.
Air Service Boys in the Big BattleCharles Amory Beach
He had lost flying speed on his zoom to get at the green plane.
Aces UpCovington Clarke
When they saw him zoom once more into the air, their hearts bounded with him.
Famous FlyersDavid Goodger (goodger@python.org)
Just then the distant "Zoom" of the westbound Overland shook the silence.
Partners of ChanceHenry Herbert Knibbs
zoom
- to make or cause to make a continuous buzzing or humming sound
- to move or cause to move with such a sound
- (intr) to move very rapidly; rushwe zoomed through town
- to cause (an aircraft) to climb briefly at an unusually steep angle, or (of an aircraft) to climb in this way
- (intr) (of prices) to rise rapidly
- the sound or act of zooming
- See zoom lens
Word Origin for zoom
Word Origin and History for zoom
1886, of echoic origin. Gained popularity c.1917 as aviators began to use it; zoom lens is 1936.