zip cuff, v.

zip-cuff
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zip-cuff_v%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 2021

# zip cuffverb

## Factsheet

### What does the verb zip cuff mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the verb zip cuff. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

This word is used in U.S. English.

### How is the verb zip cuff pronounced?

#### British English

/ˈzɪp kʌf/
ZIP kuff

#### U.S. English

/ˈzɪp ˌkəf/
ZIP kuff

### Where does the verb zip cuff come from?

Earliest known use

1990s

The earliest known use of the verb zip cuff is in the 1990s.

OED's earliest evidence for zip cuff is from 1996, in the writing of P. F. Hamilton.

zip cuff is formed within English, by conversion.

Etymons: zip cuff n.

### Nearby entries

1. zip, v.¹ 1852–
2. zip, v.² 1964–
3. zip, int. & n.¹ 1678–
4. zip-a-dee-doo-dah, int. & adj. 1945–
5. zip code, n. 1962–
6. zip-code, v. 1962–
7. zip-coded, adj. 1963–
8. zip-coding, n. 1964–
9. zip coon, n. 1833–
10. zip cuff, n. 1995–
11. zip cuff, v.1996–
12. Zipf, n. 1936–
13. zip fastener, n. 1925–
14. zip fastening, n. & adj. 1925–
15. zip gun, n. 1914–
16. Ziph, n. 1834–
17. ziphian, n. & adj. 1896
18. ziphiiform, adj. 1891
19. ziphioid, adj. & n. 1861–
20. zipless, adj. 1922–
21. zip line, n. 1970–

## Etymology

### Summary

Formed within English, by conversion.
< zip cuff n.

## Meaning & use

U.S.

1. 1996–
   transitive. To put zip cuffs on (a person); to bind (a person's wrists or ankles) with zip cuffs (zip cuff n.).
   1. 1996

      > He had been zipcuffed.

      P. F. Hamilton, Reality Dysfunction xix. 525
   2. 2006

      > If I find her here next time I come through, I'll zip cuff you, take you back to our compound, and give you a long class on infectious diseases. Got it?

      P. Rieckhoff, Chasing Ghosts vi. 78
   3. 2015

      > Yu tore free and bolted back toward his water-treatment plant, stumbling, hands still zip-cuffed behind his back.

      P. Bacigalupi, Water Knife i. 18
   U.S. English

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˈzɪp kʌf/
ZIP kuff

### U.S. English

/ˈzɪp ˌkəf/
ZIP kuff

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.

##### Consonants

b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values

- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige

##### Vowels

- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot

Originally published as part of the entry for zip cuff, n.

zip cuff, v. was first published in March 2021.

zip cuff, v. was last modified in July 2023.