# zip

/ˈzɪp/ (US) · /zˈɪp/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/zip
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. fastener

noun · CEFR B1 · British English

a device with two rows of metal or plastic teeth used to join two parts of a garment or bag.

For teachers: a fastener consisting of two flexible strips of metal or plastic with interlocking teeth, closed or opened by a sliding tab.

- The zip on my jacket is stuck, so I cannot take it off.
- The designer opted for a concealed zip along the side seam to maintain the dress's sleek silhouette.

Usage: Commonly called a 'zipper' in American English.

### 2. energy

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

energy, speed, or excitement.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. zero

noun · CEFR B2 · Slang

nothing at all; zero.

For teachers: 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.

### 4. computing

noun · CEFR B1

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

For teachers: 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.

### 5. to close a fastener

verb · CEFR B1

to close something using a zip.

For teachers: 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.

### 6. to move quickly

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to move very fast in a certain direction.

For teachers: 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.

### 7. to compress files

verb · CEFR B1

to make computer files smaller using special software.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- Please send the photos in a zip file.
- The developer uploaded the source code as a zip archive to make it easier for others to download the entire project.
- To bypass the email attachment limit, the administrator compressed the directory into a zip file, significantly reducing the total byte count without losing any data integrity.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.