zip 1. (tool, compression, file format) To create a compressed archive (a "zip file") from one or more files using PKWare's PKZIP or a compatible archiver. Its use is spreading from MS-DOS now that portable implementations of the algorithm have been written.
zip is also the name of a Unix archiving utility compatible with PKZIP. unzip is the corresponding de-archiver. See also gzip, tar and feather. Last updated: 1996-08-26
2. (storage) Zip Drive. [Jargon File] 3. (functional programming) zip function.