/ zɪp; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
(also ˈzip fastener ) (both BrE ) (also zip·per NAmE , BrE ) [ C ] a thing that you use to fasten clothes, bags, etc. It consists of two rows of metal or plastic teeth that you can pull together to close sth or pull apart to open it :
to do up / undo / open / close a zip
My zip's stuck.
2.
[ U ] ( informal ) energy or speed
3.
[ sing. ] ( informal , especially NAmE ) nothing :
We won four zip (4–0) .
He said zip all evening.
■ verb ( -pp- )
1.
to fasten clothes, bags, etc. with a zip / zipper :
[ vn ]
I zipped and buttoned my jacket.
The children were safely zipped into their sleeping bags.
[ vn - adj ]
He zipped his case shut.
—compare unzip
2.
[ v ] to be fastened with a zip / zipper :
The sleeping bags can zip together.
3.
[+ adv. / prep. ] ( informal ) to move very quickly or to make sth move very quickly in the direction mentioned :
[ v ]
A sports car zipped past us.
[also vn ]
4.
[ vn ] ( computing ) to compress a file (= make it smaller)
OPP unzip
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- zip up | zip sb/sth up
—compare unzip
••
WORD ORIGIN
mid 19th cent.: imitative.