zap

English

Etymology

onomatopoeic

Pronunciation

• IPA: /zæp/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æp

Noun

zap (plural zaps)

1. (colloquial) A sound made by a sudden release of electricity or some similar energy.
2. (colloquial) An electrical shock.

   You might feel a little zap touching a metal doorknob when the air is dry.

Translations

sound

electrical shock

• Italian: scossa (it) f

Verb

zap (third-person singular simple present zaps, present participle zapping, simple past and past participle zapped)

1. To make a zapping sound.
2. To use a remote control to repeatedly change channels on a television.
3. To strike (something or someone) with electricity or energy, as by shooting.

   They spent the whole movie zapping bad guys into oblivion.

4. To damage (especially electronics) with electrostatic discharge.

   I think they zapped the processor.

5. To heat (something) in a microwave oven.

   If it's not warm in the middle, zap it some more.

6. To delete or discard (electronic media).

   They zapped a lot of files before realizing they had not backed up lately.

7. To further energize or charge (magnetic material).

   They zapped my motor's magnets.

Descendants

Catalan: zàping Dutch: zappen German: zappen

French: zapping, zapper Spanish: zapping, zapear Sweddish: zappa

Translations

make a zapping sound

change channels repeatedly

• Catalan: fer zàping (ca) m
• Dutch: zappen (nl)
• French: zapper, faire du zapping

• German: zappen (de)
• Portuguese: zapear (pt)
• Swedish: zappa (sv)

strike with energy

• Japanese: (colloquial) なぐる (ja) (naguru), 殺す (ja) (korosu)

damage with electrostatic discharge

heat in a microwave oven

delete (electronic media)

• Japanese: 削除する (ja) (sakujo suru)

Interjection

zap!

1. Representing the sound or action of a zap.

   Then the computer went zap and I lost all my work.

Translations

representing the sound of a zap

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Dutch

Verb

zap

1. first-person singular present indicative of zappen
2. imperative of zappen