Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1900-2000
Origin: From the sound of a sudden sharp blow

zap

 verb
     
NEW! See related topics: COOKINGOTHER GAMESCOMPUTERS
zap past tense and past participle zapped, present participle zapping informal
1 [transitive]DGO to quickly attack or destroy something, especially using a beam of electricity:
Doctors have tried zapping tumors with high-voltage radiation.
The laser weapons are designed to zap enemy missiles.
2 [intransitive and transitive] to change channels on a television by using a remote control:
Dave just sat there, zapping through all the channels.
3 [transitive]DFC to cook something in a microwave1 (1)
4TD [transitive] to send information quickly from one computer to another:
Computers identify threats and zap the results back to US pilots in the war zone.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
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