Zap (noun) Definition, Meaning & Examples

verb (used with object), zapped, zap·ping.
  1. to bombard with electrical current, radiation, laser beams, etc.: The military has unsuccessfully tried using airborne lasers to zap missiles early in their flight.
  2. to attack, defeat, kill, or destroy with sudden speed and force: Late frost can zap tender fruit buds.Real magic is not about wizards zapping each other with spells.
  3. to cook or heat in a microwave oven: This coffee is almost cold—could you zap it for 30 seconds?
  4. to shoot or send rapidly: If you're in the neighborhood, zap me a text and come by!Some of his more complex arguments were not easy to zap into a sound bite.
  5. to skip over or delete (commercials on TV or radio) in recording or playing back a program: Digital recorders able to zap commercials made things harder for the advertising industry.
verb (used without object), zapped, zap·ping.
  1. to move quickly, forcefully, or destructively: Thoughts are like electric currents zapping through your mind. It used to be my childhood dream to zap around in a fast car like that.
noun
  1. a jolt or charge of or as if of electricity: A wire shorted out and he got a zap from his microphone. These fresh-cut fries have a hint of zesty lime and a zap of tequila.
  2. an act or period of microwaving: We sell prepackaged foods that require only a zap in the microwave to make them table-ready.
  3. a forceful and sudden blow, hit, or attack: This game character can kill minions and goblins with a zap even after he dies.
  4. any method of political activism, usually of a disruptive nature: A gay rights group organized a zap of the restaurant to push for removal of its offensive sign.
  5. force, energy, or drive; zip: Their stew is a bit dull, but the steak chili soup packs much more zap and one heck of a lot of meat.
Verb Phrases
  1. to add a sudden infusion of energy, verve, color, attractiveness, or the like: This bright skirt is just the thing to zap up your spring wardrobe.
verb zaps, zapping or zapped
  1. to attack, kill, or destroy, as with a sudden bombardment
  2. to move quickly; rush
  3. (tr) computing
    • to clear from the screen
    • to erase
  4. to change channels rapidly by remote control
noun
  1. energy, vigour, or pep
interjection
  1. an exclamation used to express sudden or swift action
Zap (noun) Definition, Meaning & Examples

More Definitions