Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A fastening device consisting of parallel rows of metal or plastic teeth on adjacent edges of an opening that are interlocked by a sliding tab.
  • transitive & intransitive verb To fasten or unfasten or become fastened or unfastened with a zipper; zip.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Australia A zip fastener.
  • noun A pressure-sensitive plastic closure.
  • noun biochemistry leucine zipper
  • verb To close a zipper.
  • verb To put a zipper on an article.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb close with a zipper
  • noun a fastener for locking together two toothed edges by means of a sliding tab

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Originally a trademark.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

1925, to zip + -er. The trade name was registered in 1925 by B.F. Goodrich for “boots made of rubber and fabric,” claiming use of the name since June 1923. No longer a registered trademark.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word zipper.

Examples

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • The Zipper is a carnival ride designed in 1968 by Chance Rides Manufacturing, Inc., an American manufacturer of amusement rides based in Wichita, Kansas. This ride is noted for the extreme g-forces felt by its riders. The Zipper is still a very popular attraction at many fairs and carnivals.

    _Wikipedia

    January 31, 2008

  • Just for fun

    March 31, 2010

  • Zipper for the fastener goes back to 1911. Trade mark Reporter, Volume 32, page 485

    http://books.google.ca/books?id=81IuAAAAIAAJ

    March 16, 2013