Dictionary

zippo en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈzɪpəʊ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈzɪpoʊ/ (US)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree English zip Latin ō Old French ohbor. Middle English o English O ▲ Middle English o English oh English -o English zippo From zip + -o.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable, slang) Zero; none whatsoever.
   • “The whole situation is magnificent news, especially when the problem has been zippo investment by large corporations in Africa,” says Robert H. Bates[…]. 2007 January 14, G. Pascal Zachary, “Out of Africa: Cotton and Cash”, in New York Times:

Translations (1)

fi nolla- (none whatsoever)

zippo en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈzɪpəʊ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈzɪpoʊ/ (US)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree English zip Latin ō Old French ohbor. Middle English o English O ▲ Middle English o English oh English -o English zippo From zip + -o.

Meanings

1. (emphatic, informal, not-comparable) Zero. Typically used for emphasis, as when the listener might expect a positive quantity.
   • We got 200 consoles and we sold 200 consoles and 200 minus 200 is ZIPPO, so I can't sell you anything right now.

zippo en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ˈzɪpəʊ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈzɪpoʊ/ (US)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Popular slang among American soldiers in the Vietnam War; from the Zippo brand of lighter.

Meanings

1. (slang, transitive) To light on fire.
   • The youth climbed off, Zippoed a wick in a glass bottle and walked towards Jake's flat. 2012, Tom Knox, The Lost Goddess:
   • I didn't want to burn 'em out, but that's policy. So we zippoed their hooch. 1987, Reuben Noel, Nancy Noel, Saigon for a song:
   • Once the last villagers had left Ben Suc, the buildings were doused with petrol and zippoed. 2009, Nigel Cawthorne, Vietnam:

Forms