zipperhttp://www.oed.com/dictionary/zipper_v%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_usezipper, v.
Revised 2021

zipperverb

Originally U.S.
    1. 1.a.
      1927–
      transitive. To close or fasten (something, esp. an item of clothing) by means of a zip (frequently with up). Also (with open, down, etc.): to open or unfasten (something) by means of a zip (cf. unzipper v.).
      The verb zipper is frequently found in North American English, with zip being the more usual term outside North America (see zip v.1 2b).
      1. 1927
        Mabel Harlan had the most fetching costume consisting of a vivid vermilion soft suede jacket, belted and ‘zippered’ up the front to the small collar.
        Indianapolis Sunday Star 16 January (Magazine section) 4/3
      2. 1966
        Driving wind..tunnelled through the TUT's open cab and Forsythe zippered up his jacket.
        D. F. Galouye, Lost Perception vi. 60
      3. 1972
        He knelt and pulled the bag out and zippered it open.
        B. Pronzini, Panic! 46
      4. 1974
        After he tucked in his shirt, he closed his pants, zippered them up, put his belt back, and then left.
        H. L. Foster, Ribbin', Jivin', & Playin' Dozens vi. 284
      5. 2014
        She zippered down her left boot and withdrew a pistol grip.
        M. Solana, Citizen Sim ii. ii. 167
      6. 2018
        I zippered my jacket to my chin, pulled my scarf in an extra loop, and walked on in the cold.
        Sunday Age (Melbourne) (Nexis) 11 February m2
    2. 1.b.
      1930–
      intransitive. To open or unfasten, or close or fasten, in a specified way by means of a zip; to have a zip fastener.
      1. 1930
        These coats in the newer models..do actually slip over the head and zipper up the front and down the cuffs closing in the wrists from any stray drops.
        Altoona (Pennsylvania) Mirror 26 December 19/2
      2. 1969
        All-purpose nylon pullover... It zippers closed on the left shoulder.
        New York Times Magazine 4 May 72/1 (advertisement)
      3. 2014
        Jennifer looked flawless in the grey ensemble that zippered up the front.
        MailOnline (Nexis) 10 December (TV& Showbiz section)
    3. 1.c.
      1938–
      transitive. To fasten the clothes of (a person) by means of a zip; to enclose (a person) in something by closing it with a zip; to zip (a person) into something. Frequently with up.
      1. 1938
        She..expects her husband to zipper her up in the back as often as she puts buttons in his shirt.
        Manitowoc (Wisconsin) Herald-Times 31 December 7
      2. 1941
        She..zippered him into his blue blanket and opened the window and kissed his cheek.
        J. Kelly, Marriage is Private Affair vii. 162
      3. 1989
        Then I rolled him over on his stomach, brought the bag around, and zippered him up.
        M. Milan, Squad 107
      4. 2007
        Zipper me up, love.’ Stevie gave the zip a sharp tug.
        P. Williams, Egg Race iv. 28
  1. 2.
    1930–
    transitive. figurative (chiefly North American). To keep (one's mouth or lips) closed so as not to talk or divulge information. Frequently used in commands to stop talking, as in zipper your mouth. Cf. zip v.1 2d.
    1. 1930
      Zipper. To shut something up, principally the mouth.
      J. Lait, Put on Spot 212
    2. 1942
      You can spread panic and discontent so easily when we need calm and efficiency so desperately. Zipper your lips.
      Winnipeg Free Press 22 August 9
    3. 1954
      Zipper your mouth,’ Monk would retort. ‘You're making more draft than the wind.’
      C. H. Rathjen, Smoke-eater xxi. 205
    4. 1994
      Again I bit my tongue, zippered my lips.
      R. Evans, Kid stays in Picture (1995) xlv. 415
  2. 3.
    1955–
    transitive. In scientific contexts: to bind or attach (adjacent polymeric molecules, membranes, etc.) as if by a zip fastener, esp. by a linear or sequential series of bonds or links. Also intransitive (usually with up): to become linked or attached as if by a zip. Cf. zip v.1 2e.
    1. 1955
      This concept of intermolecular association likewise explains the reverse action of retrogradation, zippering together linear molecules to give gels or insoluble precipitates.
      T. J. Schoch & A. L. Elder in Advances in Chemistry vol. 22 27
    2. 1960
      The presence, shortly after cooling, of rods (presumably triple helices) suggests that the single helices ‘zipper’ up with ease.
      Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences U.S.A. vol. 46 1192
    3. 1971
      It seems to act by zippering together chromosomes which have their homologous telomeres attached next to each other at the nuclear membrane.
      Nature 3 September 48/2
    4. 2003
      The hole in the upper (dorsal) surface of the embryonic epidermis is in the process of being zippered closed from both the left and right ends.
      Science 4 April 63/3 (caption)
    5. 2016
      While ‘single-stranded’ RNA molecules do not usually have full-length partner strands of RNA to zipper up with, RNA molecules form a number of shorter helices instead through base pairing either within or between molecules.
      D. Elliott & M. Ladomery, Molecular Biol. RNA (ed. 2) ii. 14/2

zipper, v. was revised in March 2021.

zipper, v. was last modified in July 2023.