zip

Zip is a term with several distinct meanings in English and in technical contexts. It can refer to a clothing fastener, a computer data archive format, a postal code system, or a verb meaning to move quickly. The common thread is closure or speed, applied to objects, data, or actions.

The zipper, often called a zip in everyday speech, is a garment fastener consisting of interlocking teeth joined by a sliding element. It was developed in the early 20th century, with major improvements by Gideon Sundback around 1913–1914. The term zipper became a trademark in the 1920s and later entered generic use.

The ZIP file format is a widely used method of data compression and archiving. It was created in 1989 by Phil Katz for PKWARE. A ZIP file aggregates one or more files and folders into a single archive, typically using DEFLATE compression and bearing the .zip extension. It is cross-platform and broadly supported across operating systems.

ZIP code refers to the Zone Improvement Plan, the United States Postal Service system introduced in 1963 to simplify mail sorting. A standard ZIP code is five digits; ZIP+4 adds four more digits for improved routing. The code is primarily used for addressing and automated processing in mail delivery.

As a verb, zip means to move rapidly or to close with a zipper. In slang, zip can also mean zero or nothing. The term appears in other contexts as well, such as zip lines, which use a suspended harness and cable for a rapid descent, and historical ZIP disks, a data storage medium used in the 1990s.