*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of zap

1920s, American English, of imitative origin.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
verb

To make a zap sound. · To use a remote control to repeatedly fast-forward or change channels on a television. · To strike (something or someone) with electricity or energy, as by shooting. · To kill; to eliminate.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

1920s, American English, of imitative origin.

This page abbreviates 9 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "lang_code": "ca",
      "word": "zàping"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "lang_code": "nl",
      "word": "zappen"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "lang_code": "eo",
      "word": "zapi"
    },
    {
      "lang": "French",
      "lang_code": "fr",
      "word": "zapping"
    },
    {
      "lang": "French",
      "lang_code": "fr",
      "word": "zapper"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Galician",
      "lang_code": "gl",
      "word": "zapear"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Galician",
      "lang_code": "gl",
      "word": "zapping"
    },
    {
      "lang": "German",
      "lang_code": "de",
      "word": "zappen"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "word": "zapear"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "word": "zapar"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "word": "zapping"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "word": "zapping"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "word": "zapear"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "lang_code": "sv",
      "word": "zappa"
    }
  ],
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        "To make a zap sound.",
        "To use a remote control to repeatedly fast-forward or change channels on a television.",
        "To strike (something or someone) with electricity or energy, as by shooting.",
        "To kill; to eliminate."
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Unnumbered source etymology · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
intj

Representing the sound or action of a zap.

noun

A sound made by a sudden release of electricity or some similar energy. · An electric shock. · A raucous public demonstration designed to embarrass a public figure or celebrity as a form of political activism. · The act of heating something in a microwave oven.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

1920s, American English, of imitative origin.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "Representing the sound or action of a zap."
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 195718
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}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for zap →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-emFw