zipverb2
Factsheet
What does the verb zip mean?
There is one meaning in OED's entry for the verb zip. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.
This word is used in U.S. English.
How is the verb zip pronounced?
British English
U.S. English
Where does the verb zip come from?
Earliest known use
1960s
The earliest known use of the verb zip is in the 1960s.
OED's earliest evidence for zip is from 1964, in Lebanon (Pennsylvania) Daily News.
It is also recorded as a noun from the 1900s.
zip is formed within English, by conversion.
Etymons: zip n.2
Nearby entries
- Zionist, n. & adj.a1649–
- Zionistic, adj.1887–
- Zionite, n.1596–
- Zionless, adj.1908
- Zionward, adv.1647–
- Zionwards, adv.1674–
- zip, n.² & adj.1900–
- zip, n.³1962–
- zip, n.⁴1968–
- zip, v.¹1852–
- zip, v.²1964–
- zip, int. & n.¹1678–
- zip-a-dee-doo-dah, int. & adj.1945–
- zip code, n.1962–
- zip-code, v.1962–
- zip-coded, adj.1963–
- zip-coding, n.1964–
- zip coon, n.1833–
- zip cuff, n.1995–
- zip cuff, v.1996–
- Zipf, n.1936–
Etymology
Summary
Meaning & use
- 1964–transitive. U.S. colloquial. To defeat (an opponent in a game or match) without allowing them to score. Cf. zilch v.
- 1964
Steve Miller led the Trojans to the triumph by zipping his opponent, 4–0, and grabbing medalist honors with a round of 70.
Lebanon (Pennsylvania) Daily News 1 April 14/5 - 1978
The Broncos went out and beat the hell out of them, then the next week, went and zipped Cleveland.
Time 16 January 66 - 2015
The Royals..zipped the Yankees 6–0.
New York Post (Nexis) 18 May 64
- overplayc1460–transitive. To surpass or overcome in playing; to defeat; to outplay. rare.
- smother1676–Used hyperbolically to denote an effusive welcome, etc., or the gaining of a complete or overwhelming victory.
- lurch1678transitive. To beat, in various games of skill, sometimes by a specified number or proportion of points. (See lurch, n.¹ 2.)
- outplay1702–transitive. To play better than; to beat or surpass in playing (in various senses of the verb). Occasionally reflexive.
- thrash1789–transitive. colloquial. To defeat (an opponent) easily or decisively in a game, competition, or other contest (originally esp. a physical fight).
- defeat1830–transitive. To beat (another person, team, or animal) in a contest or competition, esp. a sporting event.
- spreadeagle1832–transitive. Sport. To defeat completely, esp. by a considerable distance in a race.
- thresh1852–transitive. To inflict a heavy defeat on (an army, nation, enemy, etc.) in a conflict or battle; to defeat (an opponent) easily or decisively in…
- whitewash1867–transitive. colloquial (originally Baseball). In a game or contest: to beat (an opponent) in such a way that he or she fails to score. Also…
- blank1870–To dismiss (a sports team) without a score; to prevent from scoring. North American.
- annihilate1886–transitive. Sport. To defeat (an opponent) resoundingly or decisively.
- nip1893–U.S. transitive. In a sporting contest: to defeat, esp. by a narrow margin.
- slam1907–transitive. To beat by winning a slam; also dialect, to trump. Hence transferred, to beat completely.
- plaster1919–transitive. slang. To defeat utterly; (esp. Boxing) to strike with repeated heavy blows.
- skittle1919–To knock down (skittles, etc.); Cricket, to bowl out (batters) in rapid succession. Also figurative: to kill, defeat easily.
- rip1927–transitive. U.S. Sport colloquial. To defeat (a competitor or team) overwhelmingly.
- maul1928–transitive. In sport: to defeat (an opponent) utterly; to trounce.
- demolish1938–figurative. transitive. colloquial (chiefly Sport). To defeat (a player, team, etc.) easily or overwhelmingly.
- massacre1940–In weakened sense. transitive. Sport (originally U.S.). To defeat (a team or opponent) decisively.
- trounce1942–To defeat heavily at a sport. colloquial.
- hammer1948–figurative. To inflict heavy defeat(s) on, in war, games, etc.; to strike forcefully; to beat up. colloquial.
- murder1952–transitive. slang (originally U.S.). To defeat (an opponent, rival, etc.) totally or resoundingly, esp. in a sporting match. Also in extended use.
- to shut out1952–Baseball. (See quot. 1896. Cf. to shut out). Also transferred in other games and figurative. North American.
- zilch1957–transitive. To defeat (an opponent in a game or match) such that their final score is zero. More generally: to defeat; to quash, to reduce to…
- zip1964–transitive. U.S. colloquial. To defeat (an opponent in a game or match) without allowing them to score. Cf. zilch, v.
- trip1974–spec. in U.S. Sport, to defeat.
Pronunciation
British English
U.S. English
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
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
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