zip top, n.

zip-top
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zip-top_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2021

# zip topnoun

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zip top mean?

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

### How common is the noun zip top?

Fewer than 0.01occurrences per million words in modern written English

1960 | 0.0008
1970 | 0.0033
1980 | 0.0049
1990 | 0.0049
2000 | 0.0058
2010 | 0.0071

### How is the noun zip top pronounced?

#### British English

/ˈzɪp tɒp/
ZIP top

#### U.S. English

/ˈzɪp ˌtɑp/
ZIP tahp

### Where does the noun zip top come from?

Earliest known use

1920s

The earliest known use of the noun zip top is in the 1920s.

OED's earliest evidence for zip top is from 1926, in the Sunday Times (London).

zip top is formed within English, by compounding.

Etymons: zip n.1, top n.1

### Nearby entries

1. Zippie, n.¹ 1968–
2. zippie, n.² 1986–
3. zippily, adv. 1924–
4. zippiness, n. 1907–
5. zipping, n. 1868–
6. Zippo, n.¹ 1944–
7. zippo, n.² 1973–
8. zippy, adj. 1889–
9. zip tie, n. 1969–
10. zip-tie, v. 1985–
11. zip top, n.1926–
12. zip-up, adj. & n. 1927–
13. zip wire, n. 1971–
14. zir, pron. 1993–
15. zir, adj. 1993–
16. ziraleet, n. 1794–
17. ziram, n. 1950–
18. zirbal, adj.?a1425–
19. zirbus, n. a1400–
20. zircaloy, n. 1953–
21. zircon, n. 1794–

## Etymology

### Summary

Formed within English, by compounding.
< zip n.1 + top n.1

## Meaning & use

1. 1926–
   A zip at the top of a bag or other item; a top that can be opened or closed by means of a zip.
   1. 1926

      > One of the new handbags that fasten with a patent ‘zip’ top.

      Sunday Times 11 July 18/2
   2. 1974

      > Bag..with side pocket, zip top.

      Harrods Xmas Catalogue 18/1
   3. 1999

      > The zip top allows ease of access.

      T. Miles et al., Pract. Fishing Encyclopedia 63/2
   building
   1. zipper 1924–
      Chiefly North American. A fastening device for clothes, bags, and other items, consisting of two flexible strips with interlocking projections of…
   2. zip 1925–
      A fastening device for clothes, bags, and other items, consisting of two flexible strips with interlocking projections of metal or plastic which…
   3. zip fastener 1925–
      A fastening device for clothes, bags, and other items, consisting of two flexible strips with interlocking projections of metal or plastic which…
   4. zip fastening 1925–
      a. n. A fastening device for clothes, bags, and other items, consisting of two flexible strips with interlocking projections of metal or plastic…
   5. zip top 1926–
      A zip at the top of a bag or other item; a top that can be opened or closed by means of a zip.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˈzɪp tɒp/
ZIP top

### U.S. English

/ˈzɪp ˌtɑp/
ZIP tahp

####

##### 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

## Frequency

zip top typically occurs fewer than 0.01 times per million words in modern written English.

zip top is in frequency band 2, which contains words occurring between 0.001 and 0.01 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands

Frequency data is computed programmatically, and should be regarded as an estimate.

### Frequency of zip top, n., 1960–2010

* 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
--- | ---
1960 | 0.0008
1970 | 0.0033
1980 | 0.0049
1990 | 0.0049
2000 | 0.0058
2010 | 0.0071

## Compounds & derived words

1. C.1.
   1931–
   As a modifier, designating a bag opened and closed by means of a zip or similar fastener at the top; (now) esp. designating a sealable plastic bag with a two-part strip along the opening that can be pressed together, or fastened with a zip-like slider, and readily reopened (cf. ziplock n. I.2).
   1. 1931

      > Buy one of these zip top bags today.

      Advertiser & Register (Adelaide) 15 August 1 (advertisement)
   2. 1970

      > Novelty-shaped large capacity zip-top Shopping bag in Black Watch Tartan.

      Kay & Co. (Worcester) Catalogue 1970–71 Autumn–Winter 934 (caption)
   3. 2001

      > Cut pork into cubes..and freeze in heavy-duty zip-top freezer bags.

      Canoe & Kayak March 106/2
2. C.2.
   1940–
   As a modifier, designating a carton or can opened by pulling a tab or ring pull attached to its top; of or relating to such a carton or can.
   1. 1940

      > New ‘Zip-Top’ Pack. Just pull the tab and get fresh cigarettes, Flavor-Rich, in a Flash!

      Life 22 July 46 (advertisement)
   2. 1964

      > The Armour Grocery Products Company is to spend $500.000 to introduce its new zip-top can for Vienna sausages.

      Financial Times 2 April 11/2
   3. 1969

      > New! Zip-top carton.

      Nevada State Journal 5 June 29 (advertisement)
   4. 1976

      > Here plastic fish surface and bob for zip-top rings from beer and pop cans.

      Globe & Mail (Toronto) 30 December 27/6
   5. 1992

      > Each package contains a zip-top can of tuna, mayonnaise, pickle relish, and a paddle for spreading.

      Gazette (Montreal) (Nexis) 13 May c2
   1. zip top 1940–
      As a modifier, designating a carton or can opened by pulling a tab or ring pull attached to its top; of or relating to such a carton or can.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

Originally published as part of the entry for zip, int. & n.¹

zip top, n. was revised in March 2021.

zip top, n. was last modified in December 2024.