zip

B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Informal

n. energy, speed, or excitement.

n. vitality, energy, or a quality of briskness and speed.

“The team played with a lot of zip in the second half of the game.”

“The new marketing campaign lacks the zip required to capture the attention of a younger, more cynical demographic.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Slang

n. nothing at all; zero.

n. a score of zero; nothing.

“I asked him for help, but he knew zip about the subject.”

“Despite all the hype surrounding the product launch, the company saw zip in terms of actual sales growth during the first quarter.”

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Computing

n. a computer file that has been made smaller to save space.

n. an archive file containing one or more files that have been compressed to reduce storage size.

“I will send the photos to you in a zip so the email isn't too large.”

“The server automatically generates a zip of the requested documents to facilitate a faster download for the user.”

B1 · Intermediate

v. to close something using a zip.

v. to fasten or unfasten a garment or bag using a zip fastener.

“Don't forget to zip up your coat before you go out into the snow.”

“She struggled to zip the suitcase shut, as she had packed far more clothing than the luggage was designed to hold.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal

v. to move very fast in a certain direction.

v. to move with great speed or haste, often implying a light or high-pitched sound.

“The little electric car can zip through traffic easily.”

“The hummingbird zipped from flower to flower, its wings moving so fast they became a blur to the naked eye.”

B1 · Intermediate Computing

v. to make computer files smaller using special software.

v. to compress one or more computer files into a single, smaller archive file.

“You should zip those large documents before you upload them to the cloud.”

“The system administrator advised the staff to zip all project folders before moving them to the long-term storage server.”