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unpakwon

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What does the "zip" in the following mean in the context?

LEGO's DesignByME site brings some order to this chaos, offering digital design tools so kids can create a toy entirely from their imagination. When satisfied, they simply zip their creation to the company. LEGO will then manufacture the parts and send them in a box the kids also designed.

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shannico

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It could easily mean email a file of their project using Zip as a software program to compress the file size.
Hope it helps


What does the "zip" in the following mean in the context?

LEGO's DesignByME site brings some order to this chaos, offering digital design tools so kids can create a toy entirely from their imagination. When satisfied, they simply zip their creation to the company. LEGO will then manufacture the parts and send them in a box the kids also designed.

Thank you.
 

Tullia

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I would say there are two possible meanings. The most likely I think would be option (5) here: Zip | Define Zip at Dictionary.com.


However they could also refer to compressing the digital design for an easier file transfer - this link might be helpful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zip_(file_format). I have heard "zip" used as a verb to refer to the process of compression in this manner, although I don't think it's made it into many dictionaries yet.
 

unpakwon

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It's been a big help.

Thank you all.
 

BobK

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I would say there are two possible meanings. The most likely I think would be option (5) here: Zip | Define Zip at Dictionary.com.


However they could also refer to compressing the digital design for an easier file transfer - this link might be helpful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zip_(file_format). I have heard "zip" used as a verb to refer to the process of compression in this manner, although I don't think it's made it into many dictionaries yet.

I've heard that usage ('make a compressed file archive using WinZip'), but I've always heard (and indeed used) the phrasal verb 'zip up' - and without any implication of sending). 'When I have all the files, I'll zip them up and mail them to you.'

Even in the '60s (before the widespread use of e-mail, and long before the invention of WinZip) I remember small ads in Mad magazine - advertising things I couldn't buy, because US mail was the only possible delivery system - using 'zip' to mean just 'send' (possibly with an implication of doing it quickly and/or using a ZIP code - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - I wasn't sure [not my language ;-)])

b
 
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