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Definition of zap verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

zap

verb
 
/zæp/
 
/zæp/
(informal)
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they zap
 
/zæp/
 
/zæp/
he / she / it zaps
 
/zæps/
 
/zæps/
past simple zapped
 
/zæpt/
 
/zæpt/
past participle zapped
 
/zæpt/
 
/zæpt/
-ing form zapping
 
/ˈzæpɪŋ/
 
/ˈzæpɪŋ/
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  1. [transitive] to destroy, kill or hit somebody/something suddenly and with force
    • zap somebody/something The monster got zapped by a flying saucer (= in a computer game).
    • It's vital to zap stress fast.
    • zap somebody/something with something He jumped like a man who'd been zapped with 1 000 volts.
  2. [intransitive] + adv./prep. to do something very fast
    • I'm zapping through (= reading very fast) some modern novels at the moment.
  3. [intransitive, transitive] zap (something) to use the remote control to change television channels quicklyTopics TV, radio and newsc2
  4. [intransitive, transitive] zap (somebody/something) + adv./prep. to move, or make somebody/something move, very fast in the direction mentioned synonym zip
    • The racing cars zapped past us.
  5. Word Origin1920s (originally US): imitative.
See zap in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
trait
noun
 
 
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