zip
noun · verb
Simple meaning
The high-pitched sound of a small object moving rapidly through air.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
zipIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈzɪp
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The high-pitched sound of a small object moving rapidly through air.
UKIrelandCommonwealth
A fastener for locking together two toothed edges by means of a sliding tab
ukirelandcommonwealth
A zip fastener.
A trip on a zipline.
US
A code of letters and digits added to a postal address to aid in the sorting of mail
us
A zip code.
verb
transitive
To close with a zip fastener.
Move very fast
“The runner zipped past us at breakneck speed.”
To travel on a zipline.
transitive
To make (something) move quickly
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner (estimated)
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The high-pitched sound of a small object moving rapidly through air.
Used this way, zip is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It stays understated rather than dramatic. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Mild
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use zip
- “Zip up your jacket--it's cold.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Close with a zipper.
Move by very quickly.
A code of letters and digits added to a postal address to aid in the sorting of mail.
A fastener for locking together two toothed edges by means of a sliding tab.
A crude homemade pistol.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.