zap

Everyday

1. (informal) To destroy, kill or hit something quickly, as with a ray gun or electricity. tree →
2. (informal) To give a small electric shock. tree →
3. (informal) To heat food in a microwave. tree →
4. (informal) To move or send quickly: zap a message. tree →
5. (interjection) A sound word for a sudden flash or hit. tree →

In the lessons

In comics, games and stories: aliens zap spaceships. In everyday life: zap leftovers in the microwave. In science and safety: electricity can zap you, so never poke anything into a socket.

Examples

• The alien zapped the robot with a laser. tree →
• Zap the soup in the microwave for two minutes. tree →
• I got zapped by static when I touched the door handle. tree →
• The game lets you zap monsters for points. tree →
• Zap! The lights went out. tree →
• The teacher zapped the photos to our class page. tree →

Note

Informal. Doubles the p: zapped, zapping. Safety: real electric shocks from plugs or sockets are very dangerous; a static «zap» is only a tiny harmless spark.