Past tense of zip; moved quickly or fastened with a zipper.
From zip, originally imitative of a sharp hissing sound (1875), later applied to the fastening device invented in 1893. The verb meaning 'move quickly' emerged in the 1930s, mimicking the swift motion and sound.
The word 'zip' perfectly captures how language evolves through onomatopoeia - we literally named both the fastener and the action of moving quickly after the distinctive sound they make. It's remarkable how one little sound gave us multiple meanings that feel completely natural together.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.