1 A2 neutral
To open a zipper by pulling it in a downward direction
"She zipped down her jacket as soon as she stepped inside the warm café."
separable
zip down
B1 informal separable transitive/intransitive
To open a zipper by pulling it downward, or to travel somewhere very quickly
In plain English
To pull a zipper open going down, or to go somewhere very fast
What does "zip down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic informal
To travel to a place very quickly, usually a short distance
"I'll just zip down to the corner store and grab some milk."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To move a zip fastener in a downward direction
Actually means
To pull a zipper open going down, or to go somewhere very fast
Usage tip
The clothing sense is straightforward and common. The movement sense ('zip down to the shops') is more British English informal usage.
Words that pair with "zip down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
jacket bag tent dress boots road
How to conjugate "zip down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
zip down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
zips down
he/she/it
Past simple
ziped down
yesterday
Past participle
ziped down
have + pp
-ing form
ziping down
continuous
Hear "zip down" in the wild
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