zoom

¹

[ zoom ]

verb (used without object)

1. to move quickly or suddenly with a loud humming or buzzing sound:

   cars zooming by on the freeway.

   Synonyms: flash, streak, speed, buzz

2. to fly an airplane suddenly and sharply upward at great speed for a short distance, as in regaining altitude, clearing an obstacle, or signaling.
3. Movies, Television. to bring a subject, scene, etc., into closeup or cause it to recede into a long shot using a zoom lens and while maintaining focus.
4. Informal. to increase or rise suddenly and sharply:

   Rents would zoom without rent control laws.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause (an airplane) to zoom.
2. to fly over (an obstacle) by zooming.

noun

1. the act or process of zooming.
2. a zooming sound.
3. Informal. zoom lens.
4. Also called zoom shot. Movies, Television. a shot in which a subject, scene, or action is brought closer or made to recede by the use of a zoom lens.

verb phrase

1. 1. to bring (a subject, scene, etc.) into closeup by using a zoom lens:

      to zoom in for a look at the injured man; to zoom in on a candidate at a political convention.

   2. to examine more closely or in greater detail; focus on:

      The panel zoomed in on the subject of abortion.

Zoom

²

[ zoom ]

Trademark.

1. a brand name for a software application and online service that enables voice and video phone calls over the internet.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to participate in a real-time conversation with (one or more people) using Zoom:

   Yesterday the kids Zoomed their grandparents in Florida.

   We Zoom with remote staff during our Friday meetings.

zoom

/ zuːm /

verb

1. to make or cause to make a continuous buzzing or humming sound
2. to move or cause to move with such a sound
3. intr to move very rapidly; rush

   we zoomed through town

4. to cause (an aircraft) to climb briefly at an unusually steep angle, or (of an aircraft) to climb in this way
5. intr (of prices) to rise rapidly

noun

1. the sound or act of zooming
2. See zoom lens

Word History and Origins

Origin of zoom¹

First recorded in 1885–90; imitative

Origin of zoom²

First recorded in 2010–15; shortening of Zoom Video Communications

Word History and Origins

Origin of zoom¹

C20: of imitative origin

Example Sentences

It's cool to zoom in on very particular moments in life.

From Salon

But for a few hours a day, the 4-month-old pygmy hippo springs to life, gumming on leaves, zooming around the compound and tossing her head in a silent, open-mouthed roar.

From Los Angeles Times

The track zoomed up the charts to No. 1.

From Los Angeles Times

Optogenetics enables researchers to zoom in on discrete sets of neurons.

From Science Daily

“I always felt that with Rita, or with any of the principals, you were just zooming in on one aspect of life in London at that moment, of which there were millions of versions.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• buzz
• dart
• dash
• dive
• flash
• hurtle
• rocket
• shoot up
• skyrocket
• surge
• whirl
• whiz
• zip