zip

See also: Zip and ZIP

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: zĭp, IPA^(key): /zɪp/
• Rhymes: -ɪp

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Etymology 1

Onomatopoeic.

Noun

zip (plural zips)

1. The high-pitched sound of a small object moving rapidly through air.
2. (informal) Energy; vigor; vim.
3. (British, New Zealand, Australia) A zip fastener.
4. (slang) Zero; nothing.

   I know zip about economics.

5. A trip on a zipline.
6. (computing, informal) A zip file.
7. (programming) Synonym of convolution (“type of mapping function”)
8. (slang) An ounce of marijuana.

Synonyms

• (sound): whizz, zing
• (fastener): slide fastener, zip fastener, zipper (chiefly US)

Translations

high-pitched sound

Bulgarian: свистене n (svistene) Danish: hvin n Finnish: vinkuna, viuhina (continuous), vingahdus (fi), viuhahdus (fi) (individual) Georgian: ზუილი (zuili), ზუზუნი (zuzuni) Hungarian: süvítés (hu), fütyülés (hu), süvítő/fütyülő hang Italian: sibilo (it) m, fischio (it) m Russian: свист (ru) m (svist) Spanish: zumbido (es) m Turkish: vın (tr) Vietnamese: rít (vi), vèo (vi)

energy, vigor, vim

Bulgarian: енергия (bg) f (energija), темперамент (bg) m (temperament) Finnish: puhti (fi), virta (fi) Georgian: სიცქვიტე (sickviṭe), ენერგია (energia), გამალება (gamaleba) German: Schwung (de) m Hungarian: lendület (hu), energia (hu) Italian: vigore (it) m, vivacità (it) f, brio (it) m Russian: жи́вость (ru) f (žívostʹ) Spanish: brío (es) m

zip fastener — see zip fastener

Interjection

zip

1. (onomatopoeia) Imitative of high-pitched sound of a small object moving rapidly through air.
   • 1934, Henry G. Lamond, An Aviary on the Plains, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 35:

     `Zip!' Just like that, an exquisitely shaped fragment of a flashing rainbow in flight flits across in front of us[.]

Synonyms

• whee, whizz, zing

Translations

high-pitched sound (interjection)

Finnish: viuh Italian: zip! (it) Vietnamese: vèo (vi)

Verb

zip (third-person singular simple present zips, present participle zipping, simple past and past participle zipped)

1. (transitive) To close with a zip fastener.
2. (transitive, figuratively) To close as if with a zip fastener.

   zip one's lip

3. (transitive, computing) To compress (one or more computer files) into a single and often smaller file, especially one in the ZIP format.
4. (transitive, programming) To subject to the convolution mapping function.
5. (intransitive, followed by a preposition) To move rapidly (in a specified direction or to a specified place) with a high-pitched sound.

   The bullet zipped through the air.

6. (intransitive, colloquial, followed by a preposition) To move in haste (in a specified direction or to a specified place).

   Zip down to the shops for some milk.

   • 2022 October 24, Elisabeth Vincentelli, “‘Chushingura — 47 Ronin’ Review: A Sprawling Tale of Loyalty”, in The New York Times‎:

     Despite writing that can be confusing — we are not told, for example, how Oishi’s group of 56 ronin ended up just 47, or maybe a supertitle zipped by too quickly — the story moves at a steady clip. And Dachs’s decision to have women play some of the male roles, most prominently Kira, is very effective.

7. (transitive) To make (something) move quickly
   • 2011 December 27, Mike Henson, “Norwich 0 - 2 Tottenham”, in BBC Sport‎:

     Tottenham also initially struggled to create genuine goal-scoring opportunities, with Bale, Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart zipping passes around to little effect.

8. To travel on a zipline.

Synonyms

• (close with a zip fastener): zip up

Derived terms

• full-zip
• half-zip
• quarter-zip
• unzip
• zip-
• zip-a-dee-doo-dah
• zip bomb
• zip cuffs
• zip down
• Zip drive
• zip file
• zip-front
• zip gun
• zip it
• zip-line
• zip line
• zip-liner
• zip liner
• zip of death
• zip-off pants
• zip one's lip
• zip the lip
• zip-tie
• zip tie
• zip up
• zip-up
• zip up one's lip
• zip wire, zip-wire

 

Translations

to close with a zip fastener

Bulgarian: дърпам цип (dǎrpam cip) Danish: lukke (da) Finnish: sulkea vetoketjulla Hungarian: becipzároz (hu), cipzárral bezár, behúzza/felhúzza rajta a cipzárat Italian: tirare cerniera lampo

to close as if with a zip fastener

Finnish: sulkea (fi), sinetöidä (fi) Italian: tappare la bocca

to convert a computer file into a smaller package

Bulgarian: компримирам (komprimiram) Catalan: comprimir (ca) Danish: komprimere Finnish: pakata (fi) French: compresser (fr), zipper (fr) Galician: comprimir German: zippen (de) Hungarian: tömörít (hu), becsomagol (hu) Italian: zippare, comprimere (it) Portuguese: zipar (pt), comprimir (pt) Spanish: comprimir (es)

to move rapidly with a high-pitched sound

Finnish: ujeltaa Hungarian: süvít (hu), fütyül (hu) Italian: sfrecciare Turkish: vınlamak (tr)

to move in haste

Finnish: vilahtaa, kipaista Hungarian: száguld (hu), vágtat (hu) Italian: affrettarsi (it)

Etymology 2

Noun

zip (plural zips)

1. Ellipsis of zip code.

Translations

zip code — see zip code,‎ postcode

Haitian Creole

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /zip/

Noun

zip

1. zipper

References

• Targète, Jean and Urciolo, Raphael G. Haitian Creole-English dictionary (1993; →ISBN)

Spanish

Noun

zip m (plural zips)

1. (computing) zip