I. ˈzüm verb
Etymology: imitative
Date: 1903
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to move with a loud low hum or buzz
b. : to go speedily : zip
cars zoom ing by on the highway
2. of an airplane : to climb for a short time at an angle greater than that which can be maintained in steady flight so that the machine is carried upward at the expense of stored kinetic energy
3.
a. : to focus a camera or microscope on an object using a zoom lens so that the object's apparent distance from the observer changes — often used with in or out
b. : focus , zero — used with in
trying to zoom in on the cause of these problems
4. : to increase sharply
retail sales zoom ed
transitive verb
: to cause to zoom
II. noun
Date: 1917
1.
a. : an act or process of zooming ; especially : a sharp upward movement
b. : an image created by zooming
2. : a zooming sound
3. : a means of producing an enlarged image (as in a camera) ; specifically : zoom lens