zippinessnoun
Factsheet
What does the noun zippiness mean?
There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zippiness. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.
How common is the noun zippiness?
| 1910 | 0.00006 |
| 1920 | 0.00004 |
| 1930 | 0.00006 |
| 1940 | 0.00007 |
| 1950 | 0.0001 |
| 1960 | 0.0001 |
| 1970 | 0.0002 |
| 1980 | 0.0003 |
| 1990 | 0.0003 |
| 2000 | 0.0004 |
| 2010 | 0.0005 |
Where does the noun zippiness come from?
Earliest known use
1900s
The earliest known use of the noun zippiness is in the 1900s.
OED's earliest evidence for zippiness is from 1907, in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Nearby entries
- zippeite, n.1850–
- zipper, n.1923–
- zipper, v.1927–
- zippered, adj.1926–
- zipper foot, n.1938–
- zipperhead, n.1967–
- zipper problem, n.1985–
- Zippie, n.¹1968–
- zippie, n.²1986–
- zippily, adv.1924–
- zippiness, n.1907–
- zipping, n.1868–
- Zippo, n.¹1944–
- zippo, n.²1973–
- zippy, adj.1889–
- zip tie, n.1969–
- zip-tie, v.1985–
- zip top, n.1926–
- zip-up, adj. & n.1927–
- zip wire, n.1971–
- zir, pron.1993–
Meaning & use
- 1907–The quality of being zippy (in various senses); speed, liveliness, zest, etc.Stressed as ˈzippiness.
- 1907
This week is a sizzer for talent and a binger [sic] of zippiness.
Philadelphia Inquirer 18 November 12/2 - 1998
Brilliant zippiness and richness here.
M. Gluck, Superplonk 1999 357 - 2018
It's nice to drive,..with a frugal and smooth new engine that gives it zippiness on the road.
Canberra Times (Nexis) 28 April 79
the world action or operation manner of action vigour or energy [nouns] quality or state of being vigorous- wightness1377–The quality of being ‘wight’; valour, courage, bravery; strength, might, force, vigour, energy; activity, agility, alacrity.
- vigorousnessc1440–The quality or state of being vigorous; vigorous condition; vigour.
- zestfulness1850–
- gutsiness1893–a. Greediness, gluttony (1825 in Jamieson; 1898 in Eng. Dial. Dict.); b. energy, spirit; courage.
- thrustfulness1907–
- zippiness1907–The quality of being zippy (in various senses); speed, liveliness, zest, etc.
- vibrance1934–= vibrancy, n.
- jollinessc1386–The state or quality of being jolly, in the various senses of the adjective; jollity.
- liveliheadc1425–Liveliness; vivacity; = livelihood, n.² Now archaic and rare.
- quicknessc1425–Animation; liveliness, briskness, vigour; freshness. Now rare except as merged with 2 and 3.
- vyfnes1475Liveliness, vivacity.
- ramagec1485–1618Wildness, spirit; courage; fierceness.
- couragea1498–1705Spirit, liveliness, lustiness, vigour, vital force or energy; also figurative. Obsolete.
- liveliness1534–Activity; vigour.
- spritec1540–As a mass noun: strength of character or purpose; courage, boldness, assertiveness. Cf. spirit, n. I.ii.6. Now rare (chiefly Scottish, archaic, or p…
- livelihood1566–= liveliness, n. (in various senses). Common in the 17th cent. In later use poetic and archaic.
- life1583–A sense of vitality or energy conveyed in action, thought, or expression; liveliness in feeling, manner, or aspect; animation, vivacity, spirit…
- sprightliness1599–The state, quality, or fact of being sprightly; vigour; liveliness, animation; vivacity. Also (occasionally) as a count noun: an example of this; a…
- sprightfulness1602–
- ruach1606–The spirit of God; the spirit of the living being, life force. Now also in weakened sense: vitality, liveliness. Cf. pneuma, n. 2.
- sprightiness1607–10Liveliness, vigour. Cf. sprightliness, n.
- sparkle1611–Brightness or liveliness of spirit; smartness; wittiness.
- airiness1628–Liveliness of personal manner; cheerfulness, levity, frivolity.
- vivacy1637–1719= vivacity, n.
- spiritfulness1644–The character or quality of being spirited, lively, bold, or vigorous; cf. spiritful, adj. 1.
- spirit1651–The quality of being lively or animated; vivacity. Of a person, or his or her actions, speech, etc. Cf. sense I.ii.7b.
- vivacity1652–Vigorous or energetic action; activity, energy, vigour; spirit. Now rare.
- spiritedness1654–The character or quality of being spirited, lively, or determined; liveliness, vivacity.
- brightness1660–The quality of being cheerful, alert, or lively; vivacity, animation.
- sprightness1660–Vigour, liveliness, animation; an instance of this; = sprightliness, n.
- ramageness1686Boldness, courage, spirit; unruliness; (of a hawk) wildness.
- race1690–1875figurative. A characteristic style or manner of speech, writing, etc.; liveliness, piquancy. Cf. raciness, n. 2a, racy, adj.¹ 3c. Obsolete.
- friskiness1727–The quality or state of being frisky.
- spirituousness1727–1896The state or quality of being lively, animated, or energetic; vitality. Cf. spirituosity, n. 2. Obsolete.
- vivaciousness1727–Vivacity of manner or speech; liveliness, sprightliness.
- brio1731–Liveliness, vivacity, ‘go’.
- raciness1759–With reference to speech, writing, manner, etc.: vigour, liveliness, robustness; lack of inhibition, suggestive or slightly indecent content or…
- phlogiston1789–figurative. Fiery or combustible quality. Now rare.
- animation1791–Liveliness of aspect or manner; vivacity, sprightliness, brightness.
- lifefulness1829–
- pepper-and-salt1842–With reference to the pungency or biting quality of pepper: intensity (of feeling), spirit, vigour; ‘spice’. Cf. pepper, n. II.4b.
- corkiness1845–State or quality of being ‘corky’, in different senses.
- aliveness1853–The fact or quality of being alive; energy, animation, vigour.
- tricksiness1853–Playfulness, sprightliness; mischievousness.
- vitality1858–figurative. Active force or power; mental or physical vigour; activity, animation, liveliness.
- music1859–U.S. colloquial. Originally: liveliness; excitement; fun, sport; (also) sense of the ridiculous (now rare). Later: trouble, disturbance. Cf. musical…
- virtu1876–Chiefly with reference to the writings of Niccolò Machiavelli: the strength of character necessary for political or military success; forceful…
- liveness1890–The quality or condition of being alive (in various senses). Also: liveliness.
- zippiness1907–The quality of being zippy (in various senses); speed, liveliness, zest, etc.
- bounce1909–figurative. Energy, vitality; spirit, exuberance, verve.
- zing1917–Energy, enthusiasm, or vibrancy; a stimulating or invigorating quality which adds to the enjoyment or agreeableness of something.
- radioactivity1922–figurative. A quality or state characterized by the communication of intense energy; (also) intense energy communicated by someone or something.
- oomph1937–The quality of being exciting, energetic, or sexually attractive; energy, vigour.
- pizzazz1937–An attractive combination of vitality and glamour; sparkle, effervescence; (also) flashiness, showiness.
- zinginess1938–The quality of being zingy; energy, liveliness; zest, piquancy.
- hep1946–Liveliness, pep, energy. Cf. hep, v. 2, hepped, adj. 2a.
- vavoom1962–Vigour, sex-appeal; oomph.
- welly1977–slang. Force, power; frequently in to give it some welly and variants.
- masala1986–figurative. Indian English. Piquancy, pep, vigour, excitement.
- lightnessc1350–The quality of moving lightly; agility, nimbleness, swiftness. Also figurative.
- quiverness?1548–81Quickness, nimbleness, agility.
- smartness1644–Vigour, force; speed, briskness; liveliness, activity, alertness.
- brisknessa1655–The quality of being brisk; smartness or sharpness of motion; liveliness, quickness, activity.
- zippiness1907–The quality of being zippy (in various senses); speed, liveliness, zest, etc.
Frequency
zippiness typically occurs fewer than 0.01 times per million words in modern written English.
zippiness is in frequency band 1, which contains words occurring fewer than 0.001 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands
Frequency of zippiness, n., 1910–2010
* Occurrences per million words in written English
Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.
The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.
For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.
Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.
| Decade | Frequency per million words |
|---|---|
| 1910 | 0.00006 |
| 1920 | 0.00004 |
| 1930 | 0.00006 |
| 1940 | 0.00007 |
| 1950 | 0.0001 |
| 1960 | 0.0001 |
| 1970 | 0.0002 |
| 1980 | 0.0003 |
| 1990 | 0.0003 |
| 2000 | 0.0004 |
| 2010 | 0.0005 |