zip

noun

/zɪp/

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(also zip fastener)
(both British English)
(also zipper especially in North American English)
[countable] 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 something or pull apart to open it.
- to do up/undo/open/close a zip
- My zip's stuck.
Extra Examples
- The jacket was fastened by a zip at the front.
- The zip on my bag has stuck.
- a bag with a zip
Topics Clothes and Fashionb2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
verb + zip/zipper
- pull
- close
- do up
- …
zip/zipper + verb
- be stuck
- get stuck
- stick
- …
zip/zipper + noun
- closure
- fastener
preposition
- with a zip
See full entry
[uncountable] (informal) energy or speed
(also zippo)
[singular] (especially North American English, informal) nothing
- We won four zip (= 4–0).
- He said zip all evening.

Word Originmid 19th cent.: imitative.

verb

/zɪp/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they zip	/zɪp/ /zɪp/
he / she / it zips	/zɪps/ /zɪps/
past simple zipped	/zɪpt/ /zɪpt/
past participle zipped	/zɪpt/ /zɪpt/
-ing form zipping	/ˈzɪpɪŋ/ /ˈzɪpɪŋ/

Phrasal Verbs

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[transitive] to fasten clothes, bags, etc. with a zip
- zip something I zipped and buttoned my jacket.
- zip somebody/yourself into something The children were safely zipped into their sleeping bags.
- She zipped herself into a black evening gown.
- zip something + adj. He zipped his case shut.
compare unzip
[intransitive] zip (up/together) to be fastened with a zip
- The sleeping bags can zip together.
[intransitive, transitive] zip (something) + adv./prep. (informal) to move very quickly or to make something move very quickly in the direction mentioned
- A sports car zipped past us.
[transitive] zip something (computing) to compress a file (= make it smaller) opposite unzip

Word Originmid 19th cent.: imitative.